The Winds Of Change
by BaconSizzle
Summary: Randall has found his way back to Monstropolis, and he's intent on putting everything back the way it was. But he realizes things are much different now. The energy crisis has been solved without him and Waternoose is gone. He wants nothing to do with the way the company works, but it's either adapt or be banished. And it may depend on only one child to make either outcome happen.
1. Chapter 1

_(Reading my three-shot prologue "Don't Bite The Hand That Feeds You" is recommended, but not entirely necessary if you want to read this. Basically "Don't Bite The Hand That Feeds You" explains how Randall got back to Monstopolis in the first place, and has a lot of Boo. c:_

_Anyway, a few notes~!_

_Chapters of this fic are going to be longer than my previous prologue, and thus, I won't be updating every day. I'm hoping once a week, maybe twice if I'm lucky. I don't have a definite length yet, but I don't think it will be much more than ten chapters. There are NO shipping in this other than the canon Celia and Mike. Everything in this fic is strictly platonic, so please no comments about shipping or asking me to make it shipping._

_Lastly, the title is probably going to change. I found another fic with pretty much the same title, but right now I can't think of a new one, so it'll stay the way it is._

_Also, follow this fic's tumblr at thescalypurplemonster on tumblr~! There will be lots of art_

_Without further ado, let us begin~!)_

* * *

Sneaking around was easy when you could turn invisible, or blend into the foliage. Once in a while his tail accidentally brushed against something, but it was hard for any of the employees to blame the air for it brushing against their leg. He was pretty sure by now several of them thought the building was haunted.

He had made it three days without being sighted in the building. That had to be a record if anyone even played this warped game of hide and seek before. He probably would have made it longer if it weren't for the damn painter that tripped and fell off his ladder. Well the red paint splashed down on him, in the middle of the _Laugh Floor_, and anyone could guess what had happened next.

Sulley threw up several resumes he was looking over in fright as the alarm suddenly blared. He had no idea what it could be. There was no longer any chaos if by some chance a child did manage to wander into the factory. That had happened once in the past year. More or less rather than a city-wide panic, the child would just be taken back to their room and life would go on.

He felt a bolt of fear at the possibility that there could be a fire somewhere. And the first two things on his mind were Mike and Boo. Mike had taken her down to the caffe only fifteen minutes ago. He sniffed around for smoke, but the only scent he found was wood shavings (the door shredder was just down the hall).

"PRESIDENT SULLIVAN!" a bee-like monster shrieked—a new recruit named Marley, "PRESIDENT SULLIVAN, SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED!"

"Where is Mike and Boo?" he instantly demanded, his voice high with panic. She shakily pointed an antenna down the hall and Sulley took off without another word.

The three year old hoisted over his shoulder, Mike was in hot pursuit, following the trail of red paint, and the very distinctive foot prints left from it. Panicked, Randall bolted down the hall. His camouflage was futile covered in so much red paint. Trying to shake it off did very little; it stuck to him like glue.

"Mike?" Sulley called from the end of the hall, seeing his friend bolt toward him in a blind panic. Boo was the only one that remained calm, if not a a little dizzy from being shaken so much in the run.

"Sulley, he's coming right towards you!"

"Who is-oh." The larger monster could only stand there for a moment, his hands falling to his sides as he stared on in utter disbelief. But he knew he needed to act fast.

Randall slammed his several limbs down onto the tile to stop himself, but all that did was make him gain speed as his paint-wet feet slid across the slick floors, towards Sulley. Before Randall had a chance to attack the brute or slam into him, there was a flash of silver, a sharp pain, and suddenly all went black as he was once again vanquished by probably his worst foe on earth:

The shovel.

* * *

"Deep breaths, Mike," Sulley encouraged soothingly, even as his own voice shook with fear. He felt the urge to rip that paper bag from his assistant's hands. Gods knew he needed it just as much.

"Deep breaths!" Mike laughed, his tone high pitched and hysterical. "Deep breaths you're telling me? Is there supposed to be a WAY I'm supposed to stay calm with that...that...CREATURE back into our lives?" he spat.

"_Mike,"_ Sulley snapped. "Calm down, you're scaring Boo."

The green monster looked over to where Boo was hiding behind Sulley's leg, peering out with nervous, brown eyes. "Well isn't that ironic, the nightmare that tried to kidnap her is back and _I'm_ the one she's scared of."

"_Mike,"_ Sulley groaned. "Just..._calm down._ We need to stop and think, and gather ourselves, and-"

"Michael!"

Sulley groaned again. So much for keeping calm.

"Oh, Smoochy-Poo!" Mike practically blubbered out, his eye quivering and nearly tearing as he ran to her. Sulley rolled his eyes.

Celia ran to her _googybear_ and scooped him up into a hug, covering his face in candy kisses. Her hair did as well. "Michael, I was so worried!" She brushed a loving hand across his face. "Are you alright, Googly Bear? I heard what happened, and..."

"Oh Celia, it was awful!" Mike cried, throwing the back of his hand to his forehead dramatically. "I thought I was done for! A goner! He rushed at me, and he—he tried to jump on me! He tried to strangle me!" Celia gave a gasp of horror and Sulley snorted. "but I grabbed a shovel, and-"

Sulley interrupted Mike's theatrics._"You_ grabbed the shovel?"

"Well..." Mike rephrased. "Sulley may have actually hit him, but I was the one who cornered him, and I told him-"

"Yeah," Sulley snorted again. "Thanks for that, _hero_. I'm gonna go see if our hostage is awake yet." This got Mike's attention.

"I'll come with you! Can we bring the shovel?"

"No. Celia, watch Boo for us please?"

With the three year old safely in the care of the female monster, Sulley and Mike made their way cautiously down to the boiler room.

* * *

Captured. Again. Immobilized and bound—this time way worse than before. At least back in that filthy circus wagon he was able to move around, be it only one step forward, and one step backwards. He had even had the freedom of climbing onto the ceiling.

Chained like the criminal he was to the boiler pipes below the factory, the only wiggle room the reptile had was the ability to kick his feet up and down. Four sets of his six legs were cuffed to the metal (a sloppy job by a panicked Fungus), and a large rope had been slipped around his neck like a leash, tied to another one of the pipes. It was tied expertly, lax just enough to allow him to breathe, but tight so that he couldn't pull away from the pipe.

The hot air radiating from the boiler felt nice on his skin. Being a reptile, he always preferred working down here as opposed to the highly air conditioned floors above. It was almost a blessing to be working down here on the contraption instead of the climate upstairs. To everyone else it was air conditioned, to him it was freezing cold.

He'd been here for hours, at least two, and his limbs were stiff and sore by the time footsteps finally thudded down the stairs. He heard two sets. Heavy, unfortunately familiar feet, and smaller, skinnier feet. Probably green.

"Lizzy!" came a sudden voice from behind. Sulley whirled to find Boo, groaning. Celia must have been going out of her mind with worry right now.

"Young lady, what are you doing down here?" he scolded her. She shuffled guiltily on her feet, trying that timid little smile that always melted his heart. He sighed and plopped her into Mike's arms. "Alright fine, if you want to stay down here you need _to stay on these steps._ Understand me? No going near Randall. Stay with Uncle Mikey." She nodded her head in understanding.

"I'm a reptile, you know," Randall said dryly to Sulley as the grim faced monster approached him. "If this is your idea of torture, you might want to try a little harder than just put me down in a warm room."

Sulley snorted. "We're not like you, Randall, and we don't do that. " _Though I might not mind making an exception for you..._

"Me? When have I ever tortured anyone?"

The larger monster's lips pulled back in a snarl as he glanced pointedly over to Boo.

"Oh yes, _that_," Randall began. "That wasn't torture, Sullivan, that was just drastic measures taken necessary for our world's _survival."_

_"_It would have _killed_ her!" Sulley hissed back.

"Maybe and maybe not! I never got a chance to test it, and it doesn't really matter anyway, does it?"

Mike scowled at his enemy, his one eye narrowing furiously. "It would have killed me, Lizard Boy! You were going to test it on me! I saw what it did to Fungus! You would have suffocated us both!"

"Oh trust me, I would loved to have suffocated you for sure," Randall snapped back at the annoying, two legged pea. "Never mind the kid, as long as I could finally get rid of-" Sulley finally let out a warning roar and took a step toward the lizard. A loud cry of "No!" from Boo was all that kept him from tearing him apart.

Randall lowered himself to the ground, biting back the many things he wanted to say to the brute. He wasn't in the position to be issuing threats right now.

"No..." Boo whispered again, pleading brown eyes staring up at her Kitty. Randall looked at her. It had only been a few days since he'd _seen_ her, and even though he was well aware he'd probably end up seeing her everyday when he got back here, he at least hoped for more of a break than this.

Sulley growled and stepped protectively in front of the three year old, even though she was far away from him and he was bound.

"Oh please, what am I gonna do to her? I don't even have my scream extractor anymore thanks to _**you.**_ You think I'm just gonna put her in a giant industrial blender or something?"

"I wouldn't put it past you," Sulley snorted.

"What could I possibly have to gain from that?"

"What did you have to gain from your _scream extractor?_"

An unreadable expression crossed Randall's face; it was conflicted between bitterness and pain. "A lot more than you think," he muttered. "You have no idea..."

Mike eventually rolled his eyes, fed up with this. He set Boo down on the bottom step and stormed over to his best friend and foe. "Look, Sull', I don't know why we're wasting time here. Let's just throw him in another door and be done with it!" He smirked at the lizard. "Hey, you like the heat, scaly. How about a volcano?"

The spotted monster growled. "What, just so he can show his ugly face back around here in another year? No way, we need to find something else to do with him. Banishment is out of the question, he'll just sneak into some other kid's door."

"Not if we throw him into a volcano," Mike muttered. "The longer we keep him here the more it's jeopardizing the other kids, especially Boo." He glanced over at the toddler, who he noticed, didn't appear overly shocked at the monster's appearance, nor very nervous. _Well she is three._

"Look, I never had anything against the kid," Randall snapped. "I wasn't just capturing her for the sake of capturing, or killing her for the sake of killing her. She was just a convenient tool at the time, and a guinea pig for my machine."

"Actually, I believe I was the guinea pig," Mike snapped back. Randall ignored him.

"The kid..._Boo_ is safe from me," the lizard promised sincerely. "I'm not gonna hurt her."

"That's right you're not because you're _never _going near her," Sulley growled. "And if you're not here for her, what are you here for?"

Randall's lips turned down in a furious scowl. "I'm here because this is my home!" he barked. "I'm here because it's where I _live, this_ is my job, and-" He shuddered as images flashed through his mind of deranged hillbillies and shovels "-and humans are _psycho!"_

"Well good, you should fit right in," Mike snipped. "If you hate humans so much, banishing you to a volcano would work perfectly. There's no civilization there!"

"Mike, just stop," Sulley snapped. He was at the end of his rope with the both of them.

"You don't even have the right _to _banish me," Randall snapped. "You never did—there was no trial, no anything. You just threw me out into the wild to die, and convicting monsters isn't even up to you!"

Sulley bit his tongue in annoyance, but there was guilt in his eyes, and defeat, because this _was _true. And even now, president of the company, he still didn't have the authority to banish Randall—at least not without CDA's consent (which he was quite certain they'd give). The only thing he would be able to do would be to fire him, but since the deranged monster wasn't even an employee... He was in a bind.

"Let's go, Mike," Sulley suddenly said, turning from Randall. He knew if he stayed much longer he'd probably do something to the monster, and Boo, strangely enough, didn't seem to want that. It struck him oddly how calm the little girl had been through all this. He knew she wasn't afraid of him anymore, but she wasn't even surprised.

"What, we're just gonna _leave _him here?" Mike asked incredulously.

"Yeah, we are. He can't go anywhere, not the way he's tied up. I just...need time to figure out what to do."

Randall scowled, perturbed he was going to be left down in the dark boiler room all night, but at least relieved they weren't tossing him back out into the human world—at least right now. His eyes fell on Boo, who had used the few seconds Sulley and Mike were distracted to come a little closer.

She gazed at him, more in curiosity than anything. It irked him to the ends of the earth that he couldn't scare her anymore (gods, maybe he was losing his touch). He stared at her, glaring more in annoyance than anything. He didn't feel the burning hatred he did back in Louisiana. He at least begrudgingly appreciated the shrimp was the only one that tried to show him any care.

Still, it didn't mean he liked her. "Beat it," he hissed to the girl. She stayed there, of course.

"Boo!" Sulley shouted fearfully, waving her over sternly. "Get away from him!"

"Oh yes, you don't want me to accidentally eat her," Randall deadpanned. Sulley gave a final, quiet snarl before disappearing back up the stairs with the two of them.

* * *

"So what are we doing, Pal?" Mike asked as the two walked up the steps back to the main floor. They kept their voices hushed, not many of the other employees knew Randall was back and they didn't want to start a panic. "How long are you going to pretend to think about what we'll do before you just chuck him in another door?"

Sulley shook his head. "You know we can't."

"Well fine," Mike sighed, the kind he always did when his best friend chose to make things exceptionally difficult. "So we'll tell the CDA he's back and they'll throw him through a door. Or prison." He shrugged. "Hey, either works for me."

Sully wasn't listening to Mike. He was too busy throwing a worried gaze at the little girl with her head over his shoulder, gazing back at the boiler room with an unreadable expression as he carried her off.

"Boo's been acting really weird the past few hours."

Mike just stared at him with his mouth half hung open like he was going to say something, and his hands gesturing wordlessly. "Well..._duh,"_ he finally said bluntly. "The psycho creep that tried to kill her a year ago is back. How would _you_ feel, Pal?"

Sulley narrowed his eyes. "I know that, but she...the way she's reacting is weird." He thought back to the boiler room, how the little girl had willingly wandered to Randall's side, without fear. "I didn't think if she saw him again she'd want to just...go up to him."

Of course, they've only had little Boo back for not even a week. Who knew what all had gone on in a year. Although, he kept trying to reassure himself, the likelihood that anything happened with her and Randall was very slim.

He remembered the child shouting a panicked "NO!" when he lunged for the reptile, and that really made him thunderstruck. "She acted like she wanted to help him." Mike could see the pondering expression on Sulley's face, and the inner turmoil.

"Sulley, look, I like the kid as much as you do, but are we _really _taking the judgement of a three year old here? She's three! She doesn't even know how to spell her own name!" He cringed as Boo blew him a raspberry. "You see what I mean? How can we trust someone that gives that as a rebuttal?"

Sulley had to laugh. Trust little Boo to ease the tension with her adorable antics.

He pulled down on several switches, watching as the factory slowly became dim. He remembered when he first became president of the company. There was so many stressful responsibilities, but ludicrous that the light switches had been one of them.

He could never figure out which one was connected to which light. He almost made a fatal error at one point, shutting off the lights when there was still a monster in the building—a monster that had the _door shredder _on.

"Wait, why are you shutting the lights off already? Shouldn't we get Boo back home before it's too late?" Mike narrowed his eye at his friend, unable to keep the amusement off his face at Sulley's sheepish little smile.

"Well, she fell asleep before we had a chance to read our story last night," the large monster mumbled, and Mike knew he was thankful that his fur prevented a blush from showing. "I mean, as long as I get her back before six, it's around the time her mother wakes up, I noticed. I'll just take her back when she's asleep."

Mike threw up his hands in exasperation, but the smile on his face was even wider as he affectionately shook his head at his best friend. "You're impossible."

"Granted."

They opened the door to the apartment, and Boo squealed as she immediately spotted the bookshelf. She clambered down from Sulley's large arms, and raced over to the shelf, hopping up and down until she gained enough momentum to spring up and bat the book she wanted off the shelf.

Sulley laughed as he sat back against his easy chair. "I could have gotten it for you, you know." He opened his arms, and Boo hopped back into them, snuggling into the crook. She shoved the book in his face.

Sulley read the title. _"The Mean Little Monster..."_ He raised a brow at the girl, but she only nodded for him to go on reading. So he shrugged and adapted a pacifying voice as he began reading.

"There was once a mean little monster named Flit. He loved to growl, roar, and stomp. He loved to frighten the other monsters on the playground. He had no friends, he wanted no friends. He thought having friends was silly..."

Sulley flipped the page of the book, glancing down occasionally at Boo. She marveled at the pictures, a finger touching the illustration of the green, mean monster.

"The other monsters on the playground were fed up with his scaring. They decided they would just ignore him." His voice started going strange as he continued to read. Boo didn't notice, her eyelids were falling. "And the mean little monster realized he hated being alone. It wasn't any fun."

He was _sure _if the child was a little more conscious the way his voice was now would probably be freaking her out. "The other little monsters knew he had been mean, but they felt bad for him." This was the _worst _book he had ever read, and not just for its short narration. "They decided to give him a second chance...to prove he could be a better monster. It was the right thing to do."

His hands finally lowered the book to his lap, the babyish croon in his voice gone. "And The Mean Little Monster learned to be nice to the other little monsters. He made lots of friends." Slowly, almost mechanically, he shut the book. "And they lived happily ever after..."

Boo was asleep, her head slumped over Sulley's arm. He placed a tender kiss on her brow before sinking into the chair further and shutting off the lights, wondering what he was supposed to do. He couldn't get that story out of his head now.

Gotta love the wisdom in a child's picture book.


	2. Chapter 2

_(Wow, I am shocked at the amount of reviews I got last chapter. Although oddly I got ten and only seven showed up. Weird... Anyway, this chapter is a lot longer-as I said, these chapters are longer than the prologue's, which is what will cause the updates to be further in between. It was originally longer, but I cut some things out._

_I know I had a lot more of an author's note planned, but it's nearly 5:am (oh btw, more of my updates are in the wee hours of the morning), and I can't remember what they are._

_This chapter features a new, important character that's going to be one of the mains. Enjoy~! Feel free to point any mechanical errors I might have made. It's five remember._

_And follow this fic's tumblr at thescalypurplemonster~!)_

* * *

Sulley was exhausted when he woke up. His morning regiments to prepare for work didn't hold the happy perk they usually did. Rather than extensive training with Mike shouting in his ear until he was deaf, they both did separate training, or tested things on each other normally. Different jokes, different faces, different physical stunts that resulted in injuries for the sake of hilarity.

Today Sulley just wanted to get to work, get the day over with, and get home and relax. He had one harrowing night.

It wasn't enough that he spent most of it trying to contemplate on what the right answer was on Randall, oh no. He just had to have a string of nightmares to top it off, and wake up later than he was supposed to, which caused him to rush to get Boo.

He had made his decision on what to do with the malicious lizard, and it came to him the moment he woke up from a nightmare.

_It was dark in Monstropolis as he and Mike opened the factory doors. Boo was at their side in a nightgown, with a confused and frightened expression on her face, that made Sulley's heart break the more he remembered it._

_They dragged a desperately screaming and cursing, leather bag towards another door, and didn't even bother to open it as they suspended it in the air. Randall could be heard reduced to pleading, and in some instances, it sounded like he was crying as well, as they hurled him into this other door._

_When the door slammed shut Randall was alone in the darkness. There seemed to be glaring eyes leering all around him—humans or animals—he didn't know, but Sulley had watched as the frightened lizard bolted and the sinister shapes followed him. Probably for the sake of the dream's convenience, Randall wasn't able to use his cloaking ability. And Sulley watched as the creatures caught him and started relentlessly abusing him, tearing at him, kicking at him as the shaking lizard curled up pathetically and prayed for respite._

It had taken hours to get back to sleep after that, which is probably why he was so late getting Boo home. Too late in fact. When he got back he could already hear her parents' frantic murmurs through the wall that she wasn't in her room, and when she toddled out to them, exasperated sighs and promises to put a gate on her doorway at night.

He knew he needed to be more careful. Visiting her at night was already breaking a rule. Letting her come to Monstropolis every night broke even more rules, but Sulley didn't care. He was careful with Boo, as he knew other monsters were with their children. During the day (or at least after 12, when Roz went to lunch, and 4, when she went home) work was just about making the kids laugh, and then moving on to another door. Things tended to be much different when an agent of the CDA wasn't watching them.

Monsters spent a longer time with their children, and many had formed bonds with them. Sulley had no idea if anymore children had been in their world, but he wouldn't be surprised with how close the monsters were to the children. Physical contact was forbidden, but Sulley knew many of the monsters ignored that rule when Roz wasn't around. He had a few monsters come to him and gush about how they couldn't describe the feeling when a child had hugged them.

Really it wasn't really professional to be ignoring so many rules, but hey, as long as they were enforced when they were supposed to be. What was the harm?

"You're looking a bit terrible, Pal. Boo keep you up all night with her snoring or something?" Mike snickered as they drove down do the factory. With the energy crisis solved Mike was free to drive everywhere.

"She's three, Mike. She doesn't snore. There was just...some bad dreams." He hesitated, rather having Mike think he was up all night soothing a toddler's nightmares than his own—about his enemy, no less.

"Alright, that makes sense. No doubt it was about that scaly creep I'd imagine. I told you seeing him again had some effects on her. So we gonna throw him in another door, or the shredder? If it was up to me, I'd choose the shredder!" The green monster rubbed his hands together gleefully.

"No," Sulley said firmly as he unlocked the factory doors and punched in his numbers. "I'm not sending him anywhere."

"_WHAT?"_ Mike stopped the spotted monster there in his tracks, holding his hands out dramatically in front of him. "What—tell me you're joking. Please just tell me you're joking. Tell me you aren't stupid enough to actually keep that _dangerous_ criminal in our city!"

"I'm giving him a chance," Sulley muttered. "One chance. I'm doing it for Boo. I don't know why, but I don't think she wants him banished." He held up his hand before Mike could blow up on him. "And I _know_ she's just three, but I also know her." He rubbed the back of his head. "Kids can sense things—young kids can. Things adults can't see. And I think she sees something in him."

Mike's ranting died on his tongue as he instead gave his friend an impressed look. "Gee Sull', when did you become such an expert on children?"

The spotted monster gave an embarrassed shrug. "Child psychology book. I nabbed it from her room one night after she had a nightmare." He shrugged. "They only taught us so much about kids in Monster's University—uh, the little time we spent there. Besides, you've known Randall forever, and you said he used to be a good guy."

"Oh, he was," Mike agreed, thinking back to a nerdy, friendly lizard that baked things every day and hugged you if you had a bad day, never knowing the concept of personal space. "He really was." He shook away the sting at the remembrance. "But that was a _long_ time ago, Sull'. I don't think he'll ever be that way again."

"Well, we'll have to see," Sulley shrugged as he prepared to call a meeting in the factory's old lecture theater.

"So what? We're just gonna let him run around free in the city?"

"Of course not."

* * *

Randall winced as he was roughly untied, unchained, and a blinking piece of metal was snapped onto one of his feet. "What the heck is this, some state-of-the-art foot cuff?"

"It's called a tracker, Lizard Boy," Mike sneered. "Sulley borrowed it from the CDA. It'll monitor each and every movement you make, so you can't try any funny business."

"Odd," Randall said dryly. "I thought that was what this whole company was about now—funny business."

"As if we're letting you near the children," Sulley snapped. "Mike and I have made sure you'll be far away from them where you're working. And especially far away from Boo."

Randall rolled his eyes. "I already told you-"

"That you're not interested in Boo," Mike finished for him, mimicking his jabbering jaws with his hand. "Yada-yada-yada." He shoved a large broom towards him. "Just get sweeping, you snake."

Randall glared down at the broom in his hand, and back at the two monsters. Surely they didn't expect to reduce him to a title as low as _janitor._ "You've got to be kidding me."

Sulley and Mike crossed their arms and glared. "It's either this or..._we'll show you to the door,"_ Mike snickered. Randall paled, his frills lowering.

Degrading as the job was, at least further up near the main floor, he'd be able to see just what this company had been reduced to, and figure out an answer to get everything back the way it was. "Fine," he hissed. "I'll start sweeping."

* * *

He swore, the amount of the trash thrown onto this floor had to be there just to spite him and make his job all the more miserable. There had never been so much dirt and garbage before. Waternoose had always made sure of that, that the floors were clean as a whistle. Any neglectful janitors were always threatened out of a job if they didn't make sure of it.

The lizard growled to himself as he tapped at the metal cuff on his ankle. With this thing on there wasn't much he could do, or many places he could go. He had tested the limits when he curiously took a step just a few inches away from the main doors. The annoying thing had started to blare loudly, until he took a step back.

He was a prisoner in the factory, unable to leave. How would he be able to get home with this stupid thing on? Did he even have a home anymore? It had been a year, what if his apartment had been rented out? ...Or burned?

The lizard growled to himself, the thought of strangling or tossing into the shredder the unfortunate soul that would dare rent his apartment coming into his mind.

He slammed a mop down onto the tile floor and tried to ignore the every-so-often twinges of pain and hunger. The hunger came more than the pain did. He had hardly eaten anything in the past few days other than what the shrimp offered him. And she was three, she didn't know much about proper nutrition and had only given him candy and cupcakes. The healthiest he remembered getting was a piece of cheese and some bread.

His stomach felt like a hollow, withering pit, and he felt dizzy enough from the pain of his wounds to vomit. They also hadn't been treated well, minus the night the shrimp poured _Whiskey_ (he still asked himself how anyone thought her relatives were suited to take care of a toddler) on the cuts.

Randall yelped as something abruptly, deliberately knocked into him, sending him stumbling with the mop. He whirled around angrily to see a larger, yellow and green monster there. The monster sneered at him and tipped his coffee, making it splash onto the tile.

"Oops, you missed a spot."

Randall snarled, his tail flicking in anger as he swallowed the curses and insults he wanted to spit out, and instead just went back to cleaning the floors. No doubt with his restrictions, even if he were to call the monster a nursery insult like _stupid_, he'd probably get penalized for it somehow.

The hunger was getting to be a bit too much to ignore. He didn't have any money, not a red cent to pay for anything at the cafe (if they'd even feed him anyway). He knew he could just as easily ask Sullivan or Mike for something, but he'd be damned if he did so. He wanted to preserve whatever dignity a scarer-turned-janitor could have.

He cleaned up the coffee stain without a fight and dragged his cleaning supply cart down the hallway, groaning as the delicious scents from the caffe made his mouth water. His stomach growled and whined in yearning, and he tightened his hands on the mop to try and keep himself from diving into the cart of desserts, or devouring his cleaning sponge, which was looking more and more like sponge toffee by the minute.

He watched as a smaller red monster with ridiculous glasses set down a plate of donuts and poured himself a coffee. He could just cloak himself and nab a few donuts. But if security was tracking his movements so extensively, that wasn't an option.

The lizard sighed and was just about to head down the opposite hallway to continue working when the little red monster removed the glasses and he saw who it was. "Fungus?"

Fungus turned to him, his eyes wide in shock. "Randall?" Shock turned to fear, which turned to a brief moment of happiness, and then fear again as his old annoying stutter came back. "S-so it's true? Y-you're back!"

"In the flesh," Randall said dryly, walking over to stand next to the monster. He tried to ignore the cinnamon scent wafting from the freshly baked tidbits.

"I-I thought you were dead!" Fungus blurted.

"Thought or hoped?" Randall retorted sharply. A hurt look came to the little monster's face and he looked away. Randall huffed and cleared his throat, his tone becoming lower and softer. "So—uh, who's the monster you're assisting now?"

"A-a n-newer recruit named Marv," Fungus mumbled out, his stutter starting to lessen. It was easier to talk to Randall when he wasn't barking orders and threatening him. "Although a-assistants get to do a lot now too. I've had a lot of doors of my own." He beamed. "I love my job."

Randall stared at the twerp with utter disgust. They had all gone from terrifying, respective scarers to these goofy clowns, and no one was even _bothered_ by it, by the fact that all this company's work had just gone down the drain. He would have snapped something if the pleading growl of his stomach didn't interrupt him.

Fungus heard it and frowned worriedly. "Oh, uh—a-are you hungry? You look pretty thin." He held out the plate of donuts. "Want some donuts? You can take as many as you like. I-I had a few already."

His stomach roared out a _yes _before he could. Initially he wanted to snap at the irritating thing, but it was better from Fungus than Sullivan. He snapped up several donuts, and they were gone within the span of three seconds. Fungus scanned his eyes over Randall's many wounds, and there was sympathy on his face.

"You-umm, you-you look really hurt, sir. I have some ointment in my locker if you want it for your cuts."

At this, Randal finally did snap at the little red bean. "I don't need your sympathy, Fungus. Just leave me alone." He stormed away from the monster so he didn't have to see the hurt look on his face.

He dragged the supplies further down the hall, and made his way past the CEO office. He didn't bother to glance through the door, certain it wasn't Waternoose in there. He didn't know who; actually he had a feeling he knew _precisely_ who.

"Randall?"

_Crap_. Randall's teeth gritted in frustration. That voice wasn't helping his nausea. But it only got worse when he turned his head and saw the big brute coming out of the _CEO_ office. _Please no..._ "Sullivan..."

There was a slight touch of concern in the spotted monster's eyes as he took in the lizard's condition. Really he had been too occupied with his own thoughts to care or even see the monster was hurt at all, but there it was. He blinked when he realized the lizard was staring in horror at the sign on the door, _CEO._ "Oh yeah, about that. Guess I got promoted."

And on _that_ lovely note, and the combination of his many injuries and malnutrition, Randall found himself slowly sliding down the wall. His vision began to blur, and he could feel strong paws holding him up.

"Whoa—okay, we better get you some help." He could feel the lighter monster becoming deadweight in his arms. "Ugh, we'll get some food into you then and do something for those cuts."

* * *

It was strange how willingly Randall accepted food from him. Sulley was sure he'd need to cram it down the monster's throat. Of course, he supposed he could thank that on the fact the reptile was barely lucid at first. And he so wished that were still the case as he treated Randall's wounds and listened to him cry like a baby.

"Ow! _Oww!_ Watch it, you big BRUTE!" Randall snarled all sorts of hateful things to him through loud cries of pain as Sulley lightly dabbed more and more of the cuts with medication. Gods, what was in that bottle, acid?!

"You know Randall, you're really not in the condition to be taking care of yourself. You should have mentioned you were hungry and I would have gotten you some food. It's not like you're under a prison sentence."

Randall snorted bitterly. "I'm a _janitor_, Sullivan. It may as well be-_EE!_" He cut off with a squeal of pain as Sulley put a final drop of medicine in the most infected of his wounds.

"Oh yeah," Sulley scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You're being fed and cared for, and you're not in any cell. You must really be suffering."

"Can it, Sullivan," Randall snapped back. He winced as the bigger monster tied up his tail and a few of the injured limbs with bandages, biting off the fabric.

"Look, how about for now you just clean the windows out on the laugh floor. And then—well then I think you should go back to the basement and just lay down. You really don't look so good right now."

Randall would have snapped at his _boss _in that moment, but he realized it was probably the closest he'd get to seeing what things were like right now, uncomfortable as it would be with everyone staring at him. He nodded, and took his cart, dragging it to the entrance of The Laugh Floor. With a deep breath, he shoved open the doors.

The laughs and eager chatter on the floor stopped the moment he walked in. Somehow even the laughter of the children stopped. All eyes were on him. Randall tried to glare them all down so they'd get back to their own business, but it didn't work. Still a little dizzy from all the events, he looked more drunk than frightening.

"Alright, nothing to see here!" Mike abruptly called out into the vast room, his eye hilariously red from having dumped a bottle of soap into it to make an especially tough young boy laugh. "We're not paying all of you to stare at the convict, get back to work!" They did.

Randall kept his head down as he started scrubbing the windows. Eyes looked over at him now and then, but for the most part, the monsters were listening to Mike's orders and left him alone. He used this time to actually study the new Laugh Floor.

When he escaped he didn't have much of a chance to actually take a _look_ at what this once thriving scare company had been reduced to, but now he could see. Some of the fiercest monsters were there in stupid glasses, juggling bouncy balls, practicing funny faces in the mirror. It was disgusting, really. All these respected scarers had suddenly become the kind of clowns parents would hire for their children's birthday parties.

Randall stiffened when he saw Fungus. He was there beside this new monster—Marv, he assumed. And he was helping to get him a new door. He was just there laughing, and talking with his new partner. He looked so happy. He wasn't even looking at him.

Randall wasn't sure where the anger and sudden pain came from, but it did and he wasn't watching as he started cleaning the windows vigorously, taking his frustration out on the large, long handled sponge mop. And he _wasn't_ paying attention when he heard what sounded like Mike give a panicked shout.

_"Randall! Watch out!"_

Before the lizard could say anything else, the handle of his sponge mop suddenly slammed into something with a resounding clang. He heard the little green pea give a gasp and everyone dove under things in a panic. Randall snorted and was about to call them out on how ridiculous they were being when the sound suddenly split the air.

It was _loud_, more so than any scream Randall had ever heard. And it was _powerful. _Where-as a broken canister before caused the lights to flicker, this time they literally exploded into shards. Some glowing lights on activated doors did as well. Randall yelped as glass shards flew down from the bulbs, and from the windows.

Several more canisters opened, and soon it sounded like there were fifty different children laughing thunderously in the entire room. The power instantly went off in the factory, the only light trickling in being the sun outside.

Sulley finally threw open the doors to the Laugh Floor, and was met with the sight of his employees staring fearfully up from where they were hiding behind objects, and a certain lizard with a cat-ate-the-canary expression glancing back from the canister to the new CEO.

* * *

"Well congratulations, Sull. All in all, between Randall fainting in the hallway, scaring the life out of the employees, and pretty much completely destroying the factory, I'd say today's been pretty successful, haven't you?"

"Can it, Mike," Sulley groaned. He flicked on the switch that led to the company emergency generator. "It could have gone worse."

"Yeah, I suppose so," Mike deadpanned. "He could have accidentally blown everyone up with dynamite. We got pretty lucky, eh?" He watched as his friend sliced a card through the reader, and a creamy blue and white door descended. He gaped in horror. "What are you _doing?_ I thought you were getting Boo!"

"I overheard her mother saying she was taking her to her grandmother's tonight. This door is for Randall."

"_WHAT?"_

"You saw what he did, Mike! He's obviously not cut out to be a janitor!"

"And so your answer is to put him with the _kids?"_

Sulley sighed as he leaned against the machine, watching the entrance for Randall. "Of course not—not yet. The other monsters aren't used to him back and he is _not _ready to get back to being near children every day." He shrugged as he looked at the door. "I figure he could practice, when it's late and no one but us are around. That way we can keep an eye on him too in case he-"

"Blows the kid up?" Mike offered.

They looked up when Randall's exhausted, serpentine form limped painfully into the room. "What am I here for, _President_ Sullivan?" he snipped out in exhaustion. "I'm tired, and I want to go to bed. Or—to the pile of wood shavings in the basement I mean."

All of his sour mood went away when he saw the door. And without thinking, he blurted, "A door past hours? Isn't that against the rules?"

"Oh right!" Mike laughed sardonically. "Because you're Mr. Protocol, the monster that snuck a door past hours, and kidnapped a child. I'm pretty sure _that's _against the rules, Lizard Boy. Just be glad we're giving you a chance at all."

The reptile scowled angrily. "Oh I see, you're trying to make me your newest recruit of clowns? I'm a _scarer_, Sullivan. I have no interest in being a _comedian._"

The other monsters glared. "Either take it or leave it," Sulley snapped. "It's either this or nothing."

Letting that sink in, Randall glanced from one monster, to the other. And then back to the door. Finally, angrily shoving both monsters aside, he stepped in.

It was dimly lit by a spinning lamp in the corner of the room that projected glowing stars on the ceiling. And it seemed to be a typical child's bedroom with multicolored walls. One was pink, and the other was sky blue. There were photos scattered literally _everywhere_ on the walls. Some of animals, of nature, and what looked to be a girl and her family. They all had captions under them. The handwriting looked to be done by someone no older than eight or nine.

Randall froze when he heard a gasp.

He spun around to see the child awake and sitting up. She had bangs similar to Boo's, only blonde, and jade green eyes. Her hair was as straight as a bed sheet, hanging down to her rear, which was covered by a large, baggy white night shirt.

Randall stood there for a moment. He had no idea what to do now, because this wasn't the way things went. The routine was sneak in, make them nervous with a few subtle gestures like the ruffling of the curtains, and then frighten them.

But here, what was he was supposed to do? He didn't know how to be funny! He didn't get a degree on how to be a comedian! She sat there, staring at him in awe and not making a sound. Neither did he.

Finally he cleared his throat and barely croaked out, "Uhhh...what kind of monster wants to Disco? The boogieman!"

You could almost _hear_ the proverbial crickets chirping in response. That joke had made _him_ want to cry, and the child merely stared at him blankly. Then she took out her camera and snapped a picture. He yelped as the flash blinded him and rubbed his eyes, glaring at her. She stared back.

He could feel himself sweating, cursing over the fact _he _was becoming panicked. "How do you get to a monster's house? Walk down the street and turn fright at the dead end! What's a monster's favorite type of bean! A human bean! Get it?"

_End me. End me now._

Finally, the girl snorted and crossed her arms. "Wow, comedy gold. Maybe you should stop before you hurt yourself."

_"What?"_ Randall hissed.

"Are you real-deaf as well as comedy deaf?" the brat snarked, "The only thing funny about you is your face!" She grinned, freckles showing. "Hey, that's a good name for you actually. Funny Face. I mean you're not funny, but you really are funny looking. I bet you could make a career off how freakish your face looks."

The only thing stopping him from strangling the impertinent brat was the threat of banishment if he did. "Why _you little..._" They both froze as a light turned on in the hallway.

"Emma!" an angry female voice called. "I saw that flash and I know it's not lighting! Were you taking photos of your room again? Get to sleep!"

Randall gasped and stumbled backwards over a soccer ball, tripping and falling hard on his back. He glared when the brat _did _laugh at that, but there was no time to insult her or say anything as he hurriedly made his way to the closet door and resisted all he could to keep from slamming it in anger.

Outside, Sulley and Mike watched as the red meter went up by a quarter. They shrugged to themselves and sighed.

"Well Pal," Mike said," It looks like you and I have quite a project on our hands."


	3. Chapter 3

_(Whoo, this chapter turned out...differently than I thought it would. Originally it was half focused on Emma and Randall, but I got to adding a lot more other stuff, and I realized if I wanted to add Emma in it'd be at least seven more pages, so. XD This chapter delves slightly into Randall's past, and brings in my friend Faith's OC, Silvester Boggs. There's a few OCs in this fic, but so far Emma is the only one that makes it to a main. Eventually._

_This chapter doesn't have as much plot, but the next one certainly does._

_Next chapter summary: Sulley and Mike tutor Randall on how to be a fun entertainer for children, and encourage a reluctant Randall to try again with Emma.)_

* * *

The power was _still_ off and the generator had run out of energy. It was a small generator anyway, only enough to power three or four doors, and certainly not an entire floor. Therefore, the employees at Monster's Inc had an entire day off thanks to him. He couldn't see many monsters very mad about that.

The reptile gazed down at the cuff on his ankle. It wasn't blinking anymore, most likely connected to the power supply of the factory. Randall was grateful he didn't have to listen to the quiet repetitive beeping or watch the constant red blink. Although it would have been his only source of light in the basement with the rest of the power out.

Randall lay there in the darkness, curled in on his serpentine body to try and keep the warmth. It was freezing down here without any power. He was farther away from the boiler room, having made the mistake in choosing the room with the wood shaving bed, and thus, Sullivan had locked up all the other areas. Sawdust only provided so much warmth.

The lizard cracked open an eye to gaze up at a far window near the ceiling, spilling in a few rays of sunlight. He glanced curiously down at his deactivated cuff and smirked as a plan hatched in mind.

The power was out, his tracking cuff was dead, the security camera were dead, and there was a shovel for the wood shavings that was probably capable of snapping open a few hinges. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what to do.

He grabbed the wooden handle of the shovel and slithered with ease up to the windowsill, wedging the metal underneath the hinges. With a few harsh twists he pried them off, and the window screen clattered as it hit the pavement.

Randall slithered along the pavement and winced at the sudden sunlight. He'd been under nothing but artificial lighting for a week now, and moderate temperatures. The sudden blast of heat and a gentle breeze felt almost new.

Randall poked his head around the corner to check for any sign of workers—sometimes there were gardeners, and many times there were janitors outside to keep the influx of trash low. When he was satisfied the coast was clear he stepped out further into the light.

The monster made sure to clear off any flecks of remaining paint from the incident a few days ago, before vanishing completely, and heading into town.

* * *

"What do you wanna do today? Well I mean, until the power comes back on. I thought maybe we could watch TV, or listen to the radio, or..." Mike blinked when he noticed the other, larger monster raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Mike, _everything_ you just listed involves power."

"Fine, fine, you caught me!" the one eyed monster sighed. "I've turned into one of those techy-monsters that can't live a day without their TV, or the computer, or heck, even the radio! It's just so _quiet_ without the power. Who'd ever think Lizard Boy could cause a surge so severe it wipes out most of the town's power for a day?"

"Mm, well he _did_ break several canisters of laughter. We've seen if Boo so much as giggles the lights flicker." Sulley chuckled. "I remember that one time I tickled her... Three light bulbs exploded." He shrugged. "The power is supposed to come on by five, and it better. Or else I _will_ use the emergency generator to open her door."

Mike chuckled fondly. "And just like I can't live for a day without TV, _you _big guy can't go a day without Boo."

Sulley's smile fell. "I did, for a _year_. I never want to lose her again."

Mike slowly shut his mouth. "...Well, I think I'll go switch on the generator."

"I don't think so. You're not turning on our _emergency power supply_ just so you can watch your soaps."

"But—but-! This is the episode where Jane has to choose between Harry the Horrible and-"

"I don't care."

"Sulley, I can't afford to miss that!"

"Well, you're gonna." Thankfully, Mike's future protests and blubbering were interrupted by a knocking on the door. Sulley turned and opened it, muttering about how it better not be anyone to take the generator. Every time the power was out (which was thankfully rare) there was always a swarm here to ask to borrow the generator. Few buildings had them; it was something only the CEO really had access to, and Sulley wasn't just going to offer them up for free.

"George!" He smiled at his old co-worker and slapped him a high-five. "What brings you here? Not our generator, I hope."

"Nah. I was just passing by the neighborhood and I thought I'd drop in. Actually, I wanted your opinion on something. I meant to get it earlier today, but with Randall blowing everything up and all the commotion, eh, it kind of slipped my mind." That's when Sulley realized he was holding a plastic bag. He pulled something out of it; a small pink jumper that said 'I love my monsters' on it.

"Oh George, that is _adorable_," Mike couldn't help but fawn. "That for your niece?"

"Well...not exactly." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, and Sulley gave a knowing smirk.

"It's for Jessie, isn't it?" Jessie was George's assigned child, and one, Sulley knew, George had formed quite a bond with. In fact it was George that came asking for all the advice on how to interact with human kids. George was the first besides him that attempted to bond with them at all. That just started a trend through the factory.

"Giving them stuff is against the rules, you know," Sulley pointed out. Mike snorted.

"Because we're all about protocol. The human toddler we bring home every night says enough for that. But then you _have_ bought stuff for Boo, haven't you big guy?"

"I have," Sulley admitted. "I keep it here though for her to play with. Look I'm not saying we follow the rules, I'm just saying..." He shrugged sheepishly at George. "Don't follow our example?" He knew he should be embarrassed about being the CEO and breaking every rule in the book, but if he didn't, he'd never get to see Boo.

George flushed as well and shoved the jumpsuit back into its bag. "On another note, hey as I was leaving the factory I saw you both with _Randall_ at a door. Don't tell me he's joining the team."

Sulley hesitated. "He..._might._ Not for a while—he's got a long way to go."

"Long way?" Mike scoffed. "That's putting it mildly. Sull', the guy is _not_ funny. Trust me, I'd know. I _went_ to college with him. Not to mention the fact we still need to teach the guy to _not _kill the children."

Sulley shifted awkwardly on his feet and crossed his arms behind his back. "Like I said, long way."

"Do you really think he has a chance?" George asked. "I mean, it's Randall. You know, the mean purple monster that tried murdering children. He's not really..._kid friendly._"

Sulley sighed. "Well that I'll give ya. We don't know yet—heck, he didn't seem to hit it off with his practice kid. But apparently she did give him a hard time." He cringed. "And we didn't really prepare him for anything." No, they literally just shoved him into a door without any prior warning. Not his best choice maybe, but gods, they had to get him away from, well, destroying anything else.

"It's worth a shot," Mike shrugged. "All else fails, hey there's a door shredder, prison—many ways that could go."

Sulley rolled his eyes as he and George went into the kitchen. "Want a sandwich George? I just picked up new bread yesterday."

"Sure, Sulley. Hey, Mike, apparently Veronica's power wasn't knocked out and she managed to catch your show."

"Oh don't get him _started_ on that—you'll never hear the end of it!"

* * *

The prison air was...colder than Randall remembered it to be. But then, he had only visited this place once in the past, and a high-security prison wasn't supposed to be some kind of tropical paradise. It was called a discipline facility for a reason.

Randall froze under the guard's stare. Initially he feared he saw through his ruse, which wouldn't be terribly hard to do—an old table cloth was hardly the best disguise, but there wasn't much else he found in the old alley. And it wasn't as if he could waltz into a store and buy a disguise. That would go over _really_ well.

"I'm here to see Silvester Boggs." The guard raised an eyebrow, which was hardly a surprise. He didn't imagine his older brother had many visitors.

"Right this way," the guard instructed. The lizard released a breath of relief he hoped the security guard hadn't heard and trekked deeper down the prison halls. Cold, cruel eyes pierced him from every cell, making the reptile sweat and shudder. He wondered if the convicts realized who he was.

"Up the hall," the guard told him, leading him to the final corridor. "They'll be a desk where you can sit, and a phone to use. Don't worry about anything, there's a sheet of glass to protect you."

Randall's frills lowered. He wanted to think protection was unnecessary, but it _had _been years since he had seen his older brother, and if the horror stories of what prison could do to a person's mindset were true, then perhaps it was better safe than sorry.

The moments passed as Randall sat at the desk, waiting for someone to appear on the other side. His frills perked when he heard a subtle noise from behind the screen. He leaned forward to stare intently, and quickly realized how bad of an idea that had been.

"RAAGH!" the monster shrieked, practically pouncing on the glass. Randall would forever be grateful no one but his brother recognized him as he gave an abrupt scream and nearly fell off the chair. Silver just howled with laughter that Randall had not missed.

"Still the same after all these years, little bro," the older reptile snorted. "At least you ditched those nerdy glasses though."

It had been years. Too many in fact, Randall realized as he gazed at the network of scars covering the silver skin. There was only a few Silver had before, that Randall remembered. The older reptile was the epitome of toughness though; he wouldn't be surprised if all those came from fights while still in prison.

"Trust me," Randall began, his frills twitching in irritation at what his brother was implying. "I'm not as weak as I was. I_ have_ changed."

"You're still pretty scrawny though. Cupcake."

The younger reptile groaned. He didn't come here for this. Nor to hear the return of that terribly degrading nickname.

Silver shifted on the chair, folding a pair of his arms to look at Randall with admiration. "Oh the things I heard about you, Randy. When everything went down, I was half expecting my baby brother to join me here in this cell."

Randall snorted. "Had there been a trial I probably would have ended up here. But no, they just fling me through a freaking door. Apparently humans don't like monsters that look like gators, and use _shovels_ to deal with them." His frills flattened against his skull when Silver merely laughed.

"How did you manage to escape that then?"

"I..." The reptile bit down on his tongue. This is where he'd need to be careful of what he said. Silver was always notorious for his teasing and bullying when they were growing up, and used every opportunity he could find.

But really, there was no way to say you were _rescued by a three year old_ without throwing all dignity out the window in the process.

"I...had help. From the same twerp I went after actually."

The amused smile on his brother's face fell in an instant, his eyes instead narrowing in utter disgust and disbelief. "You had to get help...from a baby. Are you _kidding me?"_

"I was in a cage and she was the _only_ one bringing me food!" Randall snapped back, changing his colors so his brother wouldn't see his face heating. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Figure out some way out yourself?" Silver snapped. He had the urge to shake his brother or slap him, and cursed the glass that prevented him from doing so. "What did I always tell you when you were pathetic? Or pathetic-_er_, I guess if you had to rely on a _baby_ for survival."

That struck a nerve. Growing up Randall was always easily annoyed but it took a lot to truly anger him. Hearing that same insult resonating through his skull from many voices of the years—one from a certain spider-like creature—was enough to easily set him off. His teeth gnashed together in rage.

"I am _not_ _**pathetic!**_" he shouted, as if he was trying to make everyone that ever knew him hear. "I'm the one that invented the scream extractor! And it _would_ have ended the energy shortage if _**Sullivan**_ hadn't busted it! I survived in the wilderness out in a filthy swamp for a year! I lived through that savage attack by those _psychotic_ hillbillies!"

Silver was unwavering from his perspective and didn't seem remorseful, but he did raise an eyebrow at seeing the younger reptile explode like that. "So...what are you here for now, little brother?"

Randall's frills lowered and if anything he looked more like the insecure, vulnerable little brother Silver grew up with than the vindictive, ruthless villain his reputation said he was now. "I'm here because I don't know what to do. And I guess I wanted to come to you, just like old times.

"I wanted to use this time to find Waternoose and figure out how to return the company to the way it was, but..." He shook his head. "Everything's changed. _Laughter_ is what our power is based off now." He shuddered, repulsed by the images of monsters in funny clothes and throwing pies.

Silver leaned back against his chair. The metal creaked. "What about the labyrinth? Your machine?"

Randall felt a twinge of pain, and tried in vain to hide it. Years of work. _Years..._ "It's destroyed, and probably ended up in the trash compactor. Gone forever, the blueprints probably as well." That's right, he had nothing to work off of. And even if he did, what was the point of that machine now?

"Well..." Silver smirked. "Maybe I can help." Before Randall could open his mouth to question, Silver's pattern changed, and took on a purple similar to his brother's, and the same spots.

"You're...gonna pose as me," Randall said slowly, already suspicious. "And do what?"

"Oh I can think of a few things... Our family was...'gifted' shall we say, in the art of deception, Randy. We're close enough in looks to easily pull it off." He smirked. "It'd be the best heist in history."

Instantly, Randall scowled. "You mean you want to wreak havoc and frame me like you did the last time?"

His older brother had the gall to chuckle. "You're still upset about that? Force of habit, Cupcake, what can I say."

"You screwed me over!" Randall snarled, even as there was the pain of betrayal clear in his eyes. "Why? After all I did for you! I covered you—for years! And you turned on me, your own brother!"

Silver's amused smirk dropped. "Who betrayed who? I gave you a chance, twerp. And you're the one that barged in on me, swooping to save the day like a super hero; you chose her over me-"

"She was our MOTHER!" Randall finally yelled, flaring at the remembrance of that late night, when he broke a window just to get in, and protect _her _from him. Silver had been a ticking time bomb in the mommy issue department, and it had only been a matter of time before he...

"Yeah, I know," Silver hissed. "And you always sided with her."

"I didn't come here for this," Randall hissed in impatience, shaking his head to knock away the haunting memories. "I'm not here to fight you, I'm here for help."

"Fine," Silver snapped, his form relaxing in the chair once again. "Well, my schemes aside, what is your plan in all this?"

"They're giving me a chance to—I don't know, show I can be _better_," he mocked snidely. "To show I don't need to hurt the children, even though I've freaking told them at least three times by now I'm not interested in any of the brats, especially _her._ I just want things back the way they were." He shook his head. "But _Sullivan_ is CEO, and I'm pretty sure _Wazowski_ is second in command. And I...can't find Waternoose anywhere." And if he was honest with himself, that was a relief.

"Oh, I see him around now and again. He's not really much of a conversationalist though..."

Randall felt his blood freeze in his veins—and that was something for a warm blooded creature. "He's...here?"

"Oh yeah. The CDA brought their van here after that big uproar at the factory. I was half expecting them to pull you out, but instead I get Mr. Windbag."

Randall felt his frills flare, teeth baring. "It should have been him in that wretched world, getting _beaten _with shovels."

"Gotta agree with you there. So what are you gonna do now?"

"I don't know. Rest first of all, I have a splitting headache. I gotta get back there before Sullivan does and finds me gone. That won't go over well, I probably _would_ end up in this dump with you."

Silver snorted in amusement, before his face fell more serious. "Well, whatever you choose, just remember we both ended up where we are because we _trusted_ someone we never should have. Misfits like you and me don't _need _anyone else..."

Randall paused in his step, his eyes widening for a moment as he stood there, hands gripping the chair. He didn't look back as he pushed the chair back into the desk, forgetting to flip his tablecloth hood back up.

"It was good to see ya again little brother. It's been too long.." Silver's expression had turned surprisingly gentle, a far cry from what it usually was. It was the kind of look only Randall was able to get from him. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"But I...I thought you hated me. I mean, you blame me for so much."

"Eh..." The older reptile shrugged his shoulders. "I kinda do, but I kinda don't a the same time. You may have ruined all my plans and been an annoying twerp over the years, but you're the only one that ever cared about me."

Randall gave a slight, embarrassed shrug. "What are brothers for?"

The older reptile gave the closest resemblance to a smile, but it dropped when he felt prison guards grab him from behind and escort him back to his cell. Randall watched as he was pulled away, sighing as he started walking toward the exit.. He'd need to get back to the factory before the generators were switched back on—the power was supposed to be fixed tonight...

"Randall?"

And everything fell utterly silent. The monster's eyes widened, his stomach lurching the way it always did when he heard that voice in the past.

_James! How's my top scarer?_

_You're going to catch the child. I didn't sink all this time and money into this project just to have you fail on me!_

"How _nice_ to see you."

His breathing quickened and he knew to not turn around and just keep walking, but he found himself spinning to the cage against his own accord. And the form of the creature he hoped he'd never see again came toward the bars, his multiple legs tapping against the pavement.

_"You..." _There had never been so much venom in his voice, not even when he saw the twerp again. Waternoose didn't look at all perturbed by the threatening look. "You...you caused all this..." He didn't even bother to acknowledge his own wrong doings in this mess.

"Oh don't give me that," Waternoose hissed back. "You wanted to be in on it."

Of course he did. He had lived in everyone else's shadows all his life! His brother, the spineless, furry brute... Bending over backwards for approval he never got. It was his one opportunity to prove his worth.

"All the time and effort I wasted on you, all for nothing. You couldn't even handle a two year old. You let them get away."

"I didn't let them get away, they threw me through a DOOR."

"When did you become incompetent enough that a brat managed to subdue you?!"

He sneered. "Oh I'm still scary. The brat may be immune to me, but I can easily give any human a heart attack." He hissed in resentfulness. "But apparently we don't even do that anymore. They changed it without us, and they're doing _well."_

Waternoose sneered in contempt, obviously sharing his distaste for the situation. "And how did you escape banishment? Why aren't you here rotting alongside me and your no-good brother?"

And for some reason, despite the many betrayals, insults, and abusive treatment he received from his older brother, that irked Randall to the high heavens. "_Don't._ Call him. That."

"And why shouldn't I?" the old windbag had the audacity to shoot back. "If I had chosen anyone but you, the plan may have worked. Everyone in your family is nothing but bad blood—you, your brother, even your _mother."_

Oh _**that**_ did it.

Waternoose hardly had the time to prepare for the way the monster savagely lunged at him, the only thing stopping Randall from snapping his face clean off being the silver bars. He had never seen him get so uncontrollably savage, not even to Sullivan or Mike.

"How _dare_ you insult my mother, you _worthless piece of-"_

Even as he looked taken aback and blindsided by the attack, Waternoose sneered. "She must be, if she raised failures like the two of you."

"She did the best she could with what she had!" If anyone knew him well enough (and most were too afraid to try) they'd know even he the vindictive, malicious lizard still had one soft spot in his heart, and for one person only. His mother. And you could insult him, berate him, harass him, but if you went after his mother you had a death wish.

"Well it certainly doesn't prove anything in her favor."

"How about I get in that cage and strangle you?" he threatened venomously. "Would that prove anything?"

"Careful my boy, you're already on thin enough ice as it is. Wouldn't want to do draw attention to a _prison_ of all places."

Bile rose at the condescending address, his frills flaring with ferocity."And as far as I'm concerned, that's the only thing that's saving your life right now."

He didn't wait for an answer, pulling his tablecloth hood back over his face to prevent anymore eyes from spotting him, and rushing toward the exit. He looked at the clock. Four in the afternoon. He had an hour to get back.


	4. Chapter 4

_(Did I make the week deadline? No, probably not. I've had a busssyy week and it's gonna be busier next week as I'm going on a two week trip. Pretty sure I'll have wifi, but I'll be at all sorts of places and amusement parks, so I might not have much time to write. But I really hope I can._

_The next chapter is one of my favorites ever of the entire fic, and I know there's been a lack of Boo lately, but the next chapter is literally all Randall, Boo, and Emma and it's so full of fluff and adorableness and play time that it will make your teeth hurt. I might have that chapter up soon just cause I'm REALLY eager to write it._

_Next chapter synopsis: Emma escapes from her door and ends up needing to stay at the apartment for a night with the monster gang, and Boo._

_Vacation time (aka when there **may** be no updates) August 2-17_

_Also, just wanted to give a shout out to my dears on tumblr blue-with-purple-polka-dots, and thatdoodlebug. Follow them, I demand you do cause one write amazing Randall fics and the other draws amazing Randall and Boo/ Randall and Sulley stuff. Also follow this fic's tumblr at thescalypurplemonster)_

* * *

It wasn't even seven in the morning when Randall sluggishly made his way to the main floor seeking out the caffe. His head felt as if someone had stuffed wad-fulls of cotton into his ears, his sinuses clogged to the point where he could hardly inhale a breath.

You wouldn't think a boiler room (hence name 'boiler') would ever get so cold, but with everything shut off and the cool night air seeping through cracks at night, it got chilly. And Randall, apt of his species, despised the cold.

Turned out so did his immune system.

"Oh good-good morning, Randall!" Fungus piped cheerfully. Randall groaned. The high pitched voice gave him a headache—even more so than usual on this morning. The smile fell when the little bean took in his former monster's condition. "H-hey, you okay?"

"Yeah," Randall grunted, his voice hilariously nasal. "Just fine, okay? Rough night." Rough every night since he had returned.

A cup of coffee he figured, and he'd be back on his feet and ready for whatever else embarrassing task the new CEO had planned for him. He poured the steaming liquid into a mug, and cursed in annoyance as his arm shook to get the cup to his lips.

"You...you're really not well by the looks of it, sir," Fungus said, in a voice so quiet it rivaled a mouse. "I think you should go back to bed."

"Why is it every time I'm not feeling well _you_ have to make some sort of judgement and verdict?" the lizard hissed back. Fungus flinched with a pained look, but he still glared bravely at Randall-something under no circumstances in the past would he ever do.

"Well I just d-don't want you to over-exert yourself. I still worry about you, you know."

The hateful look on his face faded out to one more of confusion and hesitance. But before he could say anything, if he was going to, the front doors swung open. And the two voices he hated worse than anything only further made him want to lurch.

"Good morning, President Sullivan!" two monsters eagerly shouted, scurrying forward and presenting both the green pea and brute with a mug of coffee. Randall could tell, judging by the non-surprised look on their face, this probably happened every morning.

"Hmmph," Randall growled. "Where do they get off being treated like kings."

"W-well they're not being treated like kings, sir," Fungus stuttered, "They're being treated like the CEO would be."

"Did I ask for your freaking input, Fungus?" the lizard snapped. Fungus cowered behind his cup of coffee, but frowned in concern when Randall's string of insults was interrupted by a coughing fit. "Sir...you-you really should go to bed..."

Randall thought it easier to simply ignore the irritating little red bean for the time being. After all he needed whatever strength he had to deal with Mike and Sulley, who were currently strutting their way towards him.

"President Sullivan!" Smitty and Needleman shouted, their screechy, obnoxious voices making the poor lizard struggle to not grip his head as his headache worsened. "We got your costumes all ironed out and prepared, and your whoopee cushion inflated and ready to knock down a few kids with laughs today!"

The polka dotted monster chuckled and squeezed the rubbery inflatable, listening to the hilarious trumpet sound that emanated from it. He lightly tossed the cushion back into Smitty's hand. "Thanks Smitty, but I'm not going to need it for today. Or any of my costumes." He thought for a moment about taking a costume, but he knew it'd need to be drastically altered in order to fit the noobie (like add a few sets of limbs.).

"That's right, guys," Mike said, his tone a little too cheerful for Randall's liking. It was ominous. To him anyway. He froze when the green pea came and stood right beside him. "We've got a different project on our hands today." Randall froze when he felt the cretin place a mockingly friendly hand on his upper shoulder. And he was certain he paled ten shades as Sullivan grabbed the other shoulder.

Had it been any other time and he wasn't utterly blindsided and among a crowd, the sick monster would have snapped off both their arms, but here, he merely squeaked, "Uhhh..."

The big brute and green pea enthusiastically swung an arm around him and frog marched him out of the room, and past the laugh floor. Randall honestly, was a little too shocked to properly react, even as he was lightly shoved into a particularly large room.

It wasn't an empty room, there were a few monsters spread through out it. There were several props scattered across the area, in different stations. Each station seemed to have a few monsters engaged in various, comical theatrics.

A lot of them were skilled, Randall noticed. They knew what they were doing, and seemed to be enjoying it. Randall wrinkled his snout up distastefully at a pink monster at the far side of the room, in some sort of clown get-up, and telling jokes judging by the way the others were laughing.

And in the corner he was being led to was a small group of monsters just...standing there. They had apprehensive looks on their faces; so different from everyone else's confident looks that were in the room. They looked like the social rejects you'd find hanging out at an abandoned table at the school cafeteria.

_Oh Gods, they look like me._ It was college all over again. The social awkwardness, the educating, and once again, trying to fit in where you _didn't_ belong.

"This some sort of training program you've got going on?" he sneered at the two as he was propelled over to the nerdy group that looked far from welcoming.

"As a matter-a-fact, yes!" Sulley chuckled. "As the CEO there's really not much time we have outside of the position—you know, looking over forms, resumes, and managing the company. Once a week we show up at the Laugh Gym, and we help train new recruits."

"Oh, I see," Randall said flatly. "And I'm a new recruit? I didn't sign up for a training program."

"Maybe not," Mike agreed. "But Monstropolis knows you need it, Pal. More than anyone else here."

Randall would have walked out then and there, prepared to spend the rest of his life in the basement if it meant he'd be away from here. The only thing stopping him was how light headed he felt from this cold, and instead, he found himself sliding down against the wall with a groan.

"Alright," Sulley began like a teacher at an elementary school. "So who here can name a few ways to make the kids laugh?"

An orange monster timidly raised a tentacle. "Well—uhh...throwing pies and stuff into your own face. It's tasty too!" This was followed by several more monsters' suggestions.

"Telling funny jokes?"

"Singing funny songs!"

"Hurting yourself!"

"Right there!" Mike said with the snap of his fingers. "Bingo. All else fails, hurt yourself. The kids just go _nuts _for it."

Randall winced. "Sadistic little things, aren't they?" Though it did explain why the brat laughed when he tripped on her stupid toys. He snorted. The last thing he wanted to do was to end up in a body cast all to make some stupid pipsqueak laugh.

"Well it's for all ages," Mike added on, picking a banana peel up from a bag of props and dropping it to the ground. "Our misfortune is their happiness!" The yellow peel perched there on the tile with the group of monsters watching it. "Any volunteers?" He turned mischievously to Randall.

"Not on your life, Wazowski."

The one eyed monster gave a sigh, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Always the guinea pig." He barely stepped a few toes down on the mushy yellow thing, and it instantly flew out from under his feet, sending him flat on his back. The group of students laughed and even Randall gave a few amused snorts.

"That's the kind of stuff comedy's made of!" Mike shouted, wincing as he slowly climbed to his feet. "But if you don't feel like being black and blue after your session, there are other ways. Comedy...is an _art, _just as scaring always was. And just like scaring, it takes a while to master it."

"Oh, oh, I thought of another way to make kids laugh!" A gimpy blue monster exclaimed, wagging one of his many paws in the air. "Knock-knock jokes! Knock-knock!"

"Who's there?" another monster asked.

"No one, cause it's just a joke!" The group of imbeciles burst into laughter, while Randall covered his face with his first pair of hands. Even Mike and Sulley had to cringe.

Somehow the big brute had a heart because he looked at the group of monsters, and at a pained looking Randall, and swooped in for the rescue like a knight in blue, furry armor.

"Hey, uh, Mike? How about I work with Randall alone, and you deal with...these guys? Randall could use a private session." Mike snapped towards him in horror.

"Wait—_what?_ No! Sulley, you can't leave me with this group of ninnies!" The one eyed monster screwed up his face at the group that had begun tossing banana peels and ping pong balls at each other. He shot one last, pleading look to his friend, but Sulley only smirked and shrugged back, leading Randall along.

"Private session, Teach?" Randall sneered at the large, polka-dotted monster.

Sulley ignored the jibes and attempts to rile him and just got down to business. "Alright, what can you think of that makes you laugh?"

"Your misfortune."

Sulley scowled at him. "I'm serious."

"So am I. And anyone's really. Watching them hurt themselves is like icing on the cake." He shrugged as the monster's glare deepened. "You wanted the truth."

Sulley slid a paw down his face, but figured it wouldn't be a good idea to indulge him in these insults (not that ever ignoring them caused Randall to stop, mind you). "Well, okay, how about we try a little improv then?"

"Improv?" Randall asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. " Oh, you mean the kind I had to do when you literally threatened me through that brat's door when I wasn't prepared for any comedy act what-so-ever? _That_ kind of improv?"

Sulley hesitated, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Well yeah, I guess. Sorry about that by the way, it was a...test, really." He shrugged. "Sometimes monsters forget their props or get more doors than they're prepared for and they don't know have anything ready. So they need to make things up on the spot. Fungus is good at that. Maybe he could tutor you!"

Randall wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. "Fungus? You want me to be taught by _Fungus?_" Why didn't he just put him in a dress and lipstick and humiliate him here and now? "No way, Sullivan. I'd honestly rather have you than that blabbering bean head."

The furry monster felt his lips twitch into an amused grin. "Fine, how about I reach into the prop bag, and whatever I pull out we'll try out?" Randall gave a listless shrug which Sulley took as a yes. He reached deep into the bag and emerged with a small bag of multi-colored balls.

"Hm, juggling balls," Randall mused. "Hey, can I throw them at you?"

"Ever juggled before?" Sulley asked him, ignoring the question. He popped two of them in the air, catching them again.

"Why yes, I have," Randall deadpanned. "It was part of my act at the last five year old birthday party I provided entertainment for. Oh, _and_ I was hired by your kid's parents to perform at her three year old birthday party. It's what I do for a living, actually."

Sulley rolled his eyes. "Well it's really easy—I mean it _will_ be for you, anyway, with all those arms. Heck, in fact you could juggle way more balls than any monster here. Depending on the kid you get, it knocks them dead. Eventually you can try it on your practice kid."

Randall blinked as an armload of juggling balls were tossed to him. "Go on and give it a try!"

The monster glared down at the balls and back at Sulley, who was looking at him expectantly. He gave a nod to go on. Randall huffed and leaned to the side to see the other groups behind Sulley. Mike's group of geeks were currently taking turns trying out funny jokes and different disguises, while another group in the corner were busy practicing with _sock puppets, oh __**gods.**_

At realizing refusing to juggle could result to him being moved to a worse station, Randall took a deep breath and started tossing three balls up into the air. With all his limbs, he didn't falter once.

"Hey, not bad," Sulley mused. He added two more balls into the mix, and Randall kept those up in the air as well."You're a natural at this."

Randall shrugged, smirking cockily at the compliment. Even if his juggling skills wasn't the number one thing he'd like being complimented on, it was something. "So this is supposed to make the twerps laugh? It doesn't seem very funny."

"Well it all depends on the kid, really. I mean, if you get a two or three year old this will make them double over. They're not that hard to entertain, and I'd know that. But if you get older kids sometimes it's harder to do. You'll usually need to add something in there."

He paused and glanced over at a larger bouncy ball that had rolled over from the other group. He tapped his chin in thought, wondering just how good Randall's balancing skills were. He did manage to keep himself suctioned to the ceiling and walls after all. That had to take some skill.

Subtly, looking in the other direction, Sulley kicked the bouncy ball over to Randall. The monster ended up backing up on top of it, and yelping as he tripped onto the ball. The ball started rapidly rolling underneath his foot as he struggled to keep his balance.

"SULLIVAN, WHAT THE _HECK!"_

"You're doing great, Randall!" Sulley encouraged. "You are, the kids will love this!" Randall's multiple feet started scrambling on the ball to keep balance, and Sulley couldn't help but snicker.

"I'M GONNA-" He yelled outwardly as one of his feet ended up slipping on the ball, and it flew out from underneath him. With a loud crash and several hollow thumps the juggling balls came down and pattered his forehead. Each time they did, the lizard's skin tone comically changed to fit the colors of the ball.

Sulley did laugh at that. "You know, I think we should work on incorporating your blending techniques into your comedy acts."

"I think I have a concussion."

* * *

"Kitty!"

Sulley laughed as the little toddler came bounding toward him, leaping in and burying into his thick layers of fur so she could hardly be seen anymore. His large arms instantly wrapped around the little tot, nose nuzzling hers (something he found he unconsciously did with her a lot.)

"Hey Boo! Boy, I missed you."

"It's only been two days, Sull'," Mike chuckled, reaching up to his friend's shoulder to fondly ruffle the girl's hair.

"Two days too long!" He eagerly bounced the child into the air, grinning as she shrieked in delight and clapped her hands together. "I know I went a year without her, but now that she's back I don't ever want to do that again." He ran a paw gently down the child's cheek, and she crooned and nuzzled it like a blanket.

"Well then we better make sure we don't lose the power again," Mike laughed.

"And find a way to keep her from going to her grandmother!" Sulley added as he pretended to chew on the girl's neck, causing her to squeal with laughter. "Were you a good girl for your grandma when you were away?"

And the round little face beamed back at him as she chirped, "No!"

"Alright, so we heading to the apartment then?" Mike asked as he deactivated Boo's door and sent it away. "I picked up some Little-Monster tapes for the kid. I figure she could watch them while you try to make that famous sherbert of yours."

Sulley hesitated as he rummaged through the door files and pulled one out. "I'd love to, Mike, but we're gonna try again with Randall tonight." He slid the card through the door and the gears started going. "I thought maybe he could get to know his practice kid better."

"Oh and what, form a _bond_ with her, Sull'?" Mike snorted. "I get a lot of the monsters now are friends with the kids, but we've got a long way for Randall."

"I'm not saying they'll be buddy-buddy anytime soon. We just need to get him used to being around kids and interacting with them. I mean with scarers it was just a matter of popping into the bedroom, scaring them, and popping out. Now we interact and actually talk to them."

Mike hesitated. "Alright, fine, but after Randall shoots the breeze with this kid _then_ we're going home and having some ice cream."

"Deal."

On cue, the doors opened and Randall sluggishly made his way into the room. He did not look very happy. Well...more so than usual.

"Alright, I'm here." He griped. "Whad'dya want!"

"Lizzy!" Boo shouted happily. She waved toward the monster and after a brief moment of consideration, he waved unenthusiastically back. The girl looked like she wanted to hop down from Sulley's arms, but he still kept her firmly away from him.

"Isn't it obvious by the door, Pal?" Mike snarked.

_"Don't_ freaking call me your pal."

Sulley loudly cleared his throat to shut them both up. "It's been a few days since the power outage, and we felt you could try—Boo, get down!" He tried to turn around as Boo, like all squirmy three year olds, started climbing across his shoulder, and crawled across to the other. The moment she tried to stand, she slipped.

What would have doubtlessly been a catastrophic fall for a three year old was stopped as Randall instinctively darted forward a step and caught the little munchkin in a pair of arms.

Sulley and Mike stood there trying to recover from the spur-on heart attack, and Randall simply stood there and looked down at the giggling, squirmy little girl in his arms—who of course shouted, "Again!"

Sulley was still a little too stunned to react, his eyes never leaving Randall for a second as the monster snorted and lightly shoved the girl towards him.

"Keep a better eye on your pest, Sullivan, so others don't have to do it."

He didn't react as they simply stared at him, but he did to snort by how utterly _shocked_ they looked that he didn't let her fall to the ground and break open her skull. He rolled his eyes. "Oh I forgot, I should have tried to snap the kid's neck or something."

Perhaps there was hope for him after all.

"Alright," Sulley quickly shook his head of the incident as he dumped out several papers from the brown file folder. "So your kid's name is Emma. This is her, right?"

He flashed the folder to the reptile, whose eyes instantly narrowed in contempt at the freckled, smug face that looked back at him. It would be forever burned into his memory. "Yeah, that's her alright. Look, I don't think she'll ever find me funny." He kept quiet on the _Funny Face_ comment, knowing Mike would definitely, mercilessly use it on him if he didn't. "Can't we just say this is a dead door and move on?"

Sulley crossed his arms and snorted. "Boy, you do have a lot to learn about the way things work. There really aren't any such things as dead doors now. I mean, I guess we used to have kids that seemed born without fear, but there are no children that are born without the capability to laugh."

"Unless they're born without vocal cords," Mike piped. "But we don't get that much. We did get a kid that moved away once; that was the only dead door we had."

That poor monster—he was a new employee too, not exactly confident in his ability to entertain children. Imagine his shock and fear when he exited the closet, only to find a new family—two adults, had moved into the little boy's bedroom.

"All kids laugh at something," Mike went on, "But I find the best tactic—and probably the reason you see so many monsters sore all the time is injuries. Kids love when people get hurt."

"I wonder when this job went from trying to avoid getting hurt _from_ humans, to getting hurt _for_ them." He was not fond of the idea of coming home in bruises and broken bones just to make some sniveling runt laugh. "Can't I just scare her?" Although he had a feeling, just by the girl's abrasive personality, she probably didn't fear much.

"No," Sulley huffed. "We're done with scaring, okay? It's not coming back."

"I don't see why you guys can't just entertain the runts and the monsters that aren't cut out for that stuff scare!" Randall snapped. "That way I can go back to doing what I always did, and I'd be able to get you plenty of energy—as much as you can get in those new canisters—in one shot!"

"You don't get it, do you, Lizard Boy?" Mike snarled. "We could _never_ bring back scaring, not after you soiled its name with that machine! Nobody that has any dignity or self respect would ever even want to go back to that business again. You _ruined_ it. If you want to blame anyone for the fact scaring is dead, blame yourself."

Sulley expected a large, heated fight that would quickly reach the point to eye gauging and frill pulling, but that surprisingly seemed to shut Randall up. At least for a minute.

"I know this isn't something you're really used to," Sulley sighed. "But hey, give it a try. If you want to work at the company, you need to at least get the idea of how things go." He shrugged and looked at the reptile. Randall looked as unrelenting as always and Sulley was about to give up.

A scheming gleam came to Mike's eye as he nonchalantly crossed his arms and began circling the cautious reptile. "You know Sull, we _could _always use someone else to sort the letters and packages in the mail department." He bit back a laugh when the lizard's scales paled a few shades. "And hey, in the holidays you get to wrap the presents in this _pretty, __**shiny**_ paper."

The words had barely left his lips when Randall literally bolted through the child's door, and Sulley and Mike collapsed in raucous laughter.

A lamp by the child's bed was on dim, and she was _awake_, sitting against her pillow with what looked like photos scattered between her legs. She glanced up when she saw him. "Oh, Funny Face is back. Here to embarrass yourself some more?"

The lizard hissed. "Can it you little runt."

She dropped the photo in her hand in exasperation and scowled at him. "My name is Emma, not runt."

"Well while we're at the name thing then, the name is _Randall_, not _Funny Face._"

The smug little thing pursed her lips in amusement. "I prefer Funny Face."

"Then I prefer runt, or brat."

The little nine year old situated herself in her bed so she was on her stomach, browsing through her pictures. "So what are you then?"

"A monster."

She rolled her eyes as if she thought he was the stupidest living creature alive. Actually she probably _did_ think that. "I sorta figured, you don't exactly look like a bunny—what with all the purple limbs and weird face and stuff. You look something like a dinosaur, or an alligator."

"_Ma, another gator got in the house!"_

_"Another gator? Gimmie that shovel!"_

He shuddered. "Not a gator." But a dinosaur was probably the most interesting misinterpretation he had gotten yet. "Just a monster. Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Shouldn't you be less ugly?"

He hissed. "Stop insulting me."

"Stop insulting me." _Cheeky little..._

_I did not sign on for this..._ Deep breathe, deep breaths... He chanted the mantra in his head to calm himself down. It wouldn't help his case if he strangled the brat, although the scream extractor was looking pretty handy about now. _Suck the air right out of your lungs so I'll never have to hear you talk again._

"When I was little I always thought the monster that came out of my closet would be scary, not a failed comedian."

His anger grew. "Listen I don't work hard at what I do to have some cheeky brat too big for her britches insult me on it." Well to be fair, _really_ he had only been working at this whole _comedy_ thing for a few days, but she certainly didn't need to know that. "And I could scare you, easily. Don't tempt me on that, twerp."

But it wasn't hard to tell with how abrasive the kid was that it would be a challenge. If they did still scare he had little doubts her door wouldn't be dead and shredded in a day. She seemed like one of those kids just naturally born without fear.

"Well between you and me, Funny Face," the girl whispered dramatically, as if this was supposed to be some big secret. "I'd drop the funny business and find a job more suited for your..._talents._"

He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "And what would that be?"

"How boring you are. Hey, become a librarian!"

Instincts told him to strangle the girl, but he ignored them, instead scoffing and crossing his arms at the petulant brat. "Oh, and what are _your _talents?"

At this she seemed to falter, the self-assured smirk falling from her face. She sat back up, crossing her legs, and lowered her head to look down at the bedsheets, and at the scattered photos between her legs. And the one in her hand lowered, as if she felt ashamed of it. Then she clenched her fists and glared bravely at him.

"I'm a photographer!"

"You're a what?" he snorted.

"A photographer, I take pictures of things! See?" She held out a handful of pictures to him, and proudly lifted one higher than the others. It was a perfect action shot of _him_ when he tripped over her damn toys on the carpet. Honestly, the movement had gone by so fast he didn't even realize she had snapped a photo!

"Gimmie that!" Randall snapped as he lunged for the picture. Smirking, Emma held it away.

"I call this one _Splat Goes The Lizard..._"

Randall hissed. He was stuffed up and nauseous, he didn't need lip from a nine year old. "Get rid of that, you can't go taking pictures of people without their permission!" Least of all something that could literally put the entire world and _him_ in jeopardy.

Emma snorted and hopped up onto her striped socks as she engaged the monster in a game of keep-a-way. "Hey, no way! That's the best action shot I've managed to get in ages! It's something I'm still struggling with you know!"

She growled as he grabbed onto half of the photo, and she grabbed the other, the two engaging into a power struggle until the print ripped in half and they both stumbled back. The nine year old groaned as her ruined masterpiece fluttered to the blanket.

"Awww, what'd you do that for?!" She grabbed both pieces, trying to stick them together and only huffing in exasperation when obviously, they remained destroyed. "I wasn't gonna do anything with them!" A bitter look crossed her face. "I wouldn't try to expose you to people, and no one ever wants to look at my photos anyway..."

Randall lowered a brow. He didn't know why he bothered to ask, but he did. "Why?"

"Well being able to aim a camera is nothing in this family—not when your older sister is always getting trophies for soccer and awards for doing good at school. I'd have to become mayor of the entire stinking town to get anyone's attention around here."

Randall stared, the words feeling familiar, even if it was in different context. "Huh?"

Emma waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing, never mind. It's not like something you'd understand anyway. We've all got our thing; I like photography, and you..." She shrugged. "You know, whatever it is you do. Hey, you're some kind of lizard. You could impress people with how much flies you can eat!"

Randall's face screwed up, absolutely revolted. "Ugh! Look, just because I look like a reptile doesn't mean I want to eat bugs!"

The thought was absolutely nauseating. Even if he knew there were many monsters that literally _picked_ the wrappers instead of their food, he wasn't one of them. "I eat...normal stuff. Like..." He paused, trying to think of the kind of food the girl probably ate. Their diets didn't differ that much. "Coffee and...hot dogs?"

She grinned. "Pretty unhealthy diet there, Funny Face. Is that why you've got a bit of chub to that purple belly?" He hissed as she poked it, banging her hand away.

"I don't _have_ a pudgy belly. I'm perfect size for my species and age," he snapped. If anything he should be alarmingly skinny from a year of little to no food for long periods of time. "You know brat, if you keep this up you won't have any friends." He was one to talk, sure, but it wasn't like he wanted any.

And that seemed to strike a nerve in her, and she reared up to yell at him, like he assumed she would, but instead of doing so she fell back to her knees in defeat. He raised an eyebrow. He didn't really _know_ the kid, but assumed she'd be the kind to retort with quick, witty comebacks.

"So what then, are you just gonna visit me every night from now on? Where's your comedy act tonight?"

_Comedy...SHOOT! I forgot the juggling balls! _He deflated with a groan when he realized it. Still, it wasn't like he'd actually succeed in making the brat laugh regardless. "Don't worry kid, hopefully soon I'll graduate from my _training_ and we'll never have to see each other again."

When he turned the nine year old wasn't looking at him with relief or happiness. No, instead she looked rather fearful. Fingers tightened on her photos as she looked up at him. "Why would I want that? I mean, you're the only one who ever visits me. It's not like I'm Tina and I've got friends over all the time, and every day."

"Who's Tina?"

A bitter scowl crossed Emma's face and she pulled a large leather book into her lap. She flipped it open to a page of family photos, and jabbed her finger angrily at a picture of a girl with golden-brown ringlets. "_That's_ Tina."

Randall had to snort at the scribbled "big dummy" title under it. "So she's mean to you, huh?"

Emma hesitated as she leaned back. "Well..." Conflicting expressions crossed her face before she gave a resigned sigh and angrily flipped the book closed. "No. She's just...better than me. She's not even mean to me, really. Actually, she tries to be nice and she _thinks_ she's trying to help me, but she's really just making things worse most of the time."

Randall stared.

"See, she thinks if she coaches me in soccer and tutors me in school it'll give us a better relationship, but..." She shook her head. "All it'll do is remind me I'll never be better than she is." She sighed, hands falling to her lap to fiddle with her shirt. "And I don't even have a _reason _to dislike her—it's just easier than accepting she'll always be better than me." Jade, soft eyes looked up at him. "You know?"

Randall had fallen utterly silent as his head went over the many times he felt nearly the exact emotions before.

"No, you don't know..."

"...Actually kid," he finally said, his voice quiet. "I think I do..."


	5. Chapter 5

_(Well, here we go! The tooth achingly adorable chapter I've been dying to write. I know there's been a distinct lack of Boo, but this chapter is literally all Boo, Randall, Emma, and of course our two favorite monsters. In later chapters I'm gonna try including Celia a bit more. I know I neglected her. This is possibly the last chapter for two weeks as I'll be on vacation. It's likely I'll have wifi, but...you know, vacation. XD And thank you all for the reviews. Please don't be discouraged if I don't respond. Eventually I probably will, just very busy. There's a few that really, really touched me and I WILL respond to those as soon as I can._

_This is dedicated to my beloved floridas_firefly (owner of a soon to be very significant character in this fic, Silver), blue-with-purple-polka-dots, and thatdoodlebug._

_Enjoy! (don't be afraid to point out mistakes. I edited it, but it is three in the morning, and I don't have a professional editor XD)_

_Follow this fic's tumblr at thescalypurplemonster_

_Next chapter synopsis: When no one can look after Boo, Randall finds himself with her as he visits with his mother for the first time in years.)_

* * *

_Randall instinctively flickered out of sight at the sudden, harsh thud of a leather bag into a chair leg as Mike angrily stormed into the dorm room. _

_Even with the day he had, and the rage brimming through him at a certain arrogant, blue jock, Mike had to smirk somewhat teasingly at the empty space. "Oh great, Randy. Right when I need you, you vanish. How typical."_

_The gawky lizard guiltily flashed back into sight, his scales having turned an embarrassed pink. "Sorry about that, Pal. Others jump at loud noises, and I guess I disappear. So is it anything a cherry pie might help?"_

_"Pie?" the green monster snickered. "Well what happened to the cupcakes? Aren't they your specialty?"_

_"Well they are, but my mom taught me a lot about different kinds of baking. Gotta mix it up now and then!"_

_"I guess I could drown my sorrows in food. Maybe save a slice of pie to throw into Sullivan's face. You won't believe what he did to me today. I left my homework on my desk for a MINUTE when I went to sharpen my pencil, and I come back to find it scribbled and doodled on—most bad pictures of me—right when the teacher went to collect it!"_

_Randall winced. "Ouch." He inched comfortingly closer to Mike, and wrapped him up in a side ways, cheer up, buddy-buddy hug._

_"Uhhh, Randy," Mike began awkwardly as he tried to push him away with his fork. "I think we need to go over the concept of personal space again."_

* * *

_Nothing good..._ Fireflies were so difficult to catch in your hand, and it made it even worse for a camera. They were just little glowing dots that dipped in and out of the night, and a camera could never pin-point their location until they were out of range of the shot.

_Darn it..._ Emma huffed as she flung several failed photos to the ground in annoyance. She was hoping to add the photos to her collection of nighttime creature shots, but no such luck.

"Why do they have to blink? Why can't the light just be constant?" she mumbled in annoyance. "It'd be so much easier to get a photo." Emma winced when she heard her older sister call to her.

"Emma, come on! We're not here to play with fireflies and take pictures of them! We're here to play soccer!"

The nine year old snorted. "No, _you're_ here to play soccer. I came out here to get some shots of bugs and frogs." Her eyes brightened. "And maybe an owl!" Her eyes scanned the area eagerly, recalling her father had mentioned something about a horned owl 'scaring the ba-jeebers out of him' when he sat on the porch the other night.

"Emma, get over here! I'm not doing this lesson for me, I'm doing it for you!"

Emma scowled as she finally trudged over to where her sister was (showing off) kicking a soccer ball rapidly up and down from the toe of her shoe. "I never asked for a lesson though, Tina."

Oblivious to the younger's genuine bitterness and resentment, Tina gave a teasing grin. "Well if I don't teach you how to kick right you'll never make the soccer team."

"I wasn't trying _out_ for it!" Emma snapped back, her fists balling in frustration, per the norm dealing with her sister. "And the way I kick is just fine. Ask the jerk that called me a name the other day. If I can kick a person I can kick a ball!"

"Hey, I'm not saying you can't kick!" Tina laughed, holding up her hands in defense. "But I've seen the way you kick a soccer ball, and you always get the ball on the side of your shoe. You need to kick it directly with the _toe_ of your shoe."

Emma's freckled face scrunched up in anger as she glared at the innocent soccer ball just perched there in the grass. She reeled back her leg and focused all her anger to her sister out on the ball. Her aim barely missed as the ball skewed sideways, pelted a tree, and then came back at her face.

Tina gasped and bolted over to help her sister up. The dazed Emma grunted as she was helped to her feet. She cried out as she saw what had clattered to the ground.

"My camera!" Wrenching out of her sister's grip, Emma fell to the grass and hurriedly brushed the dirt off her camera. "Oh no, what if the lens cracked?"

Tina heaved a tired and exasperated sigh. "Seriously, Emma? I'm sure it's just fine. Come on, stop worrying about the camera, we have to practice for soccer try outs! Don't you want to be like me?"

It was then the girl rose to glare at her sister, inches away from her face, eyes smouldering.

Tina spoke in a gentler, concerned sound of voice. "You aren't gonna get very far with that camera right now. You should be focused on more important stuff."

It was clear by the fire in the girl's eyes that the wrong thing was said. "My camera IS important to me! Just because what I do isn't as interesting as your stupid soccer, or your dumb drama club, or gymnastics, or everything else you do doesn't mean I don't have important things to!"

"Emma-"

"Just leave me alone!" Emma turned, gathered her camera and dashed from the backyard as her hurt sister looked on. Bitter tears lined her eyes. She could already imagine the conversation with her parents.

_"Emma, you can't keep up with this awful attitude. Your sister is just trying to help you."_

_"All Tina wants is the best for you. She just wants to be a good role model to you."_

_"Why can't you be more like your sister?"_

Emma slammed her bedroom door and flung her camera onto the soft mattress with an angry cry. The conversation had played out so many times she could already imagine what would happen. Her parents would speak to her in a pacifying tone to 'soothe' her anger, tell her to grow up, and then most likely punish her after she lashed out from being told to be more like her sister.

That's all Emma heard. _Why can't you be more like Tina? Tina doesn't do the kind of things you do._ No because Tina was perfect; the one with perfect grades, perfect friends, and perfect behavior. While Emma was left forever to lay in her sister's shadow.

The girl lay flat on her back for the longest time and watched the star patterns from her lamp bounce off the ceiling and walls. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and frowned curiously at her closet. There was light pouring in from the crack under her door, and she didn't even have a light in her closet.

Confused and definitely intrigued, Emma made her way towards the door and reluctantly opened it.

Monsters were everywhere. Emma gaped at them all. Multi-limbed and colored creatures slithered over the floor. They all reminded her of Funny Face, even though many of them appeared to be different species. Actually, she didn't see one that resembled Funny Face.

Most of the monsters were at a series of doors, and pressing a few buttons as the doors suddenly shot up to the ceiling, and went along some sort of track until they disappeared from sight. "Whoa..."

Emma ducked behind the frame of her door as a monster carting a load of different costumes rolled by. They all seemed to be in a hurry, she noticed. Many of them waved to each other at the door, or shouted good-byes across the room. The lights were dimming.

"You seem a little bit worried there, Pal."

"I am _not_ worried," the voice snorted back, as if it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. "Why would I be worried? I don't know everything about the kid's schedule, she might be at a relative's or something, like when Sullivan's shrimp goes to visit her grandmother."

He was terrible at disguising what he really felt, he was always see-through somehow. And with these past few weeks growing accustomed to spending time with the brat night by night, he couldn't help by feel a little...unsettled by her not being there.

"Funny Face?" Emma whispered. She pulled out from behind the door, enough to spot a purple, serpentine form, a large blue fuzzy mass, and what looked like a talking booger. "Funny Face!"

Mike, being composed of a large eye and little else, was obviously the first to spot the child. He yelped, nudging his companions and pointing to the kid. "You left the door unlocked, Randall!"

"Wha-?" Randall turned, frills standing on end in embarrassment as he saw the girl. "Oh, shoot. Shrimp!" he growled, immediately slithering over to her, multiple hands on his sides. "Get back in that room, pronto! I don't need another mark on my record because of you! Especially not in front of those two!" A frantic point to Sully and Mike, who merely blinked and looked at each other.

"So that's little Emma," Mike mused, leaning against the table. He certainly never thought his reaction at seeing another human child in front of his eyes would ever be so lax, but then again, he never imagined he and Sulley would practically care for a kid almost every day-night. "She's a lot taller than you, Boo."

Emma, ignoring her annoyed monster completely, smiled as she looked at Boo. "I would be, I'm nine. You must be the one-eyed pea, or are you the one eyed cretin?" she asked innocently, not realizing both names applied to him. She glanced at Sulley. "And I guess you're the big dumb brute!"

"Hehe! Yes, I'm Mike, the one-eyed cretin," Mike snickered at Sulley's unamused face. "And this is indeed the big dumb brute."

"Sullivan," the large monster answered, though he was mainly glancing at Randall (who was currently pretending to read a clipboard). "James Sullivan. But you can call me Sulley. This is Boo," he held up his tail, a large paw catching the little girl as she let go of it to cuddle into his arm.

"Oh you're Boo!" Emma grinned as she crouched down to the girl's level. Boo grinned brightly back at her. "I figured you all had _real_ names. I mean, Funny Face mostly refers to you as the big brute, or buffoon, or idiot, and you," she said, pointing to Mike. "Well, you're a lot of things."

She looked back over at Randall, who was trying to hide in his clipboard apparently.

"Funny Face, huh?" Mike slowly sauntered to Randall's side, snatching the clipboard out of the lizard's hands to grin at his glare. The monster immediately shifted, disappearing. The one-eyed monster thought little of it, shaking his head/body. "Gee, I didn't think Randall was such a sweet-talker when we weren't around."

"Yeah," Sulley grunted, grinning as he wriggled his paw in front of Boo, letting her bat at it. "Usually he just calls us one or two names and that's it. Must be really growing attached to us."

The empty spot of air snorted. "Yeah, I worship the ground you two incompetents try to walk on."

"That's good, Randall! Accepting is the first step."

"Shut your mouth you blabbering olive, before I dunk you into a glass."

Emma immediately started laughing and slapped her knee. "Wow, you guys are three regular peas in a pod, huh?"

"Oh yeah, can't you tell? Randall snorted sardonically. "It's a _friendship to be._ Now get back to your room before I drag you there by your feet!"

The girl blinked. "What room?"

Randall's many fists clenched in annoyance as he set to act on his threat and grab the girl's feet. The moment he turned though, he did a double take at seeing an empty spot where the kid's door used to be. A spiked, red monster was lumbering away from the door, and Randall frantically ran up to him, his body growing to tower over the monster. "What are you doing?"

"It's quitting time, sir, we had to get the doors all cleared." He patted the monster's arm sympathetically. "Don't worry, you can try tomorrow."

Randall hissed and was about to turn the creature upside down to shake the door card off him, until he saw another monster leave with the cart of files through the door. "Wait, wait!" he shouted, rushing after the monster. "I need that!" The doors shut, his protests ignored.

"So this where you all practice your comedy stuff?" Emma asked the CEO. She watched the canisters of laughter be hauled off. "What do you do with those?"

Sulley clicked his tongue. "Well..." Even with protocol being as flexible as a rubber band, he knew he couldn't disclose too much information about their way of life. Then again, the girl was right in the middle of the factory and could _see _everything anyway. "It's our source of power, like the humans have electricity."

"Okay, runt!" Randall grumped as he stormed back over. "Time to go back to your room."

"Already?" Emma whined, tugging on his arm. "You aren't even gonna show me around?"

"I'm not a tour bus, squirt," he grumbled, yanking his hand out of her grasp. "You gotta get back into your room before I get some kind of negligence mark on my record and I gotta spend another seminar learning about 'proper protocol' with _Fungus!_"

Undeterred, she merely crossed her arms. She knew he was hard to persuade. "Oh, okay..." she heaved a large sigh, head hanging as she pretended to head to her room-only to bolt forward instead, down the hall. "But you gotta catch me first!"

Boo shrieked in delight and followed, while the other two monsters laughed at Randall, who face palmed.

"Squirt! You-!" Randall growled, launching forward and skittering after the young girl. "Get back here right now!" He swerved from one of the wheeling bins, leaping and crawling on the walls-sending bulletins scattering as he tried to catch her.

Emma only burst out laughing as she ran, with Boo shrieking in delight and trying to keep up on her chubby legs. The nine year old was having the time of her life, rough night be damned.

Randall skidded to a stop just to see a wooden, rounded sword playfully being pointed at him, Emma playfully tilting her head. "Arg! Boo, vanquish the foul beast!"

An eager three year old, dressed in a bunch of beaded necklaces and holding several objects that ranged from rubber hammers to swords happily toddled toward him. It was clear both kids had found the costume rack. "Arggg!"

"Wait, wait," he stammered, holding up his hands in surrender as the little demons approached him. "Get back, you brats!"

The demons were about to leap on him, and the other monsters (if they even cared) weren't around to stop them. Randall hissed, his frills flattening back as he prepared to make a beeline for the door. He would have too, if it didn't swing open at that precise second.

Randall's scales lightened a few purples when he saw who it was. _Roz. _That was the last monster you wanted to see when the factory was infested with kids. He shoved the girls behind him, knowing full well that if _she_ saw them, he'd never see them again.

_And why do you care?_ His mind prattled insistently, but he didn't have time to listen to it as he, Mike and Sulley (the idiots by now having seen Roz) herded the children away from the room.

"She must have forgotten something here, or maybe she wants to collect some...paper work or something." He didn't know how much she kept up with that now that her position as the CDA was more open. "We need to get out of here!"

"But the brats' doors are gone!"

"That doesn't matter, we need to MOVE!"

Sulley hoisted a child under each arm as the three of them burst through the back exit of the factory doors, and turned into an alley, panting to catch their breath.

"Okay, Sullivan, we escaped from Roz. Now how are we supposed to get these kids out of here without anyone else spotting them?" They all knew the likelihood of there being any sort of panic was slim, that wasn't what they feared. It was if some monster tattled to the CDA, that's what they worried about.

Sulley scanned the area for some sort of disguise, but the closest he could find in an alley was a plastic bag with holes. At last his eyes settled on a large cardboard box. He gazed from kids to box. Kids, to box.

"Oh, _brilliant_, Sullivan," Randall sneered as he watched the monster literally drop the two children into the box. "You certainly didn't become CEO for your intellect."

* * *

"Well," Mike mused, kicking aside many of the toys they bought for Boo as the children were dumped out of the box. "Can't say we weren't prepared for tonight, anyway."

"Yeah, uh, sorry about that, kids," Sulley chuckled awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. "It was quick thinking on the box thing. It's all I really had."

Boo babbled and blew a raspberry at the sheepish monster, but Emma was too busy checking the place out to hear him.

"Wow, neat apartment! But I thought your home would be...I don't know, more monster-y. Like I thought more things would be...alive, or your walls would have teeth and eyes or something."

Randall shuddered at the thought of going to sleep at night with wall-eyes glaring down at him. "No kid, our home isn't much different from yours. Well, we have monsters instead of humans. That's it. Even our diets are pretty similar." Save for the monsters that guzzled garbage, and the ones at factories that did away with toxic waste by eating it.

"Really?" Emma grinned, oh-so politely making her way through the kitchen and examining every drawer and cabinet. "You don't have, like, eyeball cookies, or hairy toast with blood jam? No ice cream with toenail toppings?"

Mike was thankful for his skin tone to disguise the fact he had turned green. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

"Nope, we just have normal food here," Sulley chuckled. "Boo doesn't really have...an _eye_ for eyeball cookies." He snickered at his own joke, while Randall rolled his eyes.

"That part of your bit, Sullivan? Because I wouldn't go with it."

"No, it just...fit the moment. Sorry," Sulley muttered, ashamed of his joke.

"Awww, lighten up, Funny Face!" Emma grinned. "You don't have to be so serious all the time, and if you're trying to go into the comedy business, you can't be!"

Randall gave a dog yelp as the brat somehow deemed it appropriate to pounce into his tail like a kitten, and wrestle with it until she slipped into a sitting position on it.

"What are you doing?"

"Wow cool, it's like riding a horse, except smaller and...not a horse!"

"Get off!" he snapped.

"Or maybe a dino-"

It was then the lizard whipped his head around to glare and snap right in the nine year old's face, a dark scowl rippling his face. "I said_ GET. OFF!"_

Even Boo was quiet now, staring up from her drawing to the steamed lizard and the little girl. Emma's grin had fallen completely, and slowly, she let her hands slip from his tail and climbed off. Randall turned his head, glaring at the floor with frustration and turmoil as she closed Sulley's door.

"...Geez, Randall," Mike snorted in the silence.

"Shut your _face,_ Wazowski! What did she expect, jumping on my tail like that?"

"You still didn't have to bite her head off—er, figuratively. But you threatened to literally for a moment!"

Randall growled and returned to glaring at the floor. He shouldn't feel bad, but he...did, in some way. Maybe it was out of line, but was that new for him anyway? He glanced coldly at the door.

"You know, Randall," Sulley began quietly. "Maybe instead of yelling at this kid every chance you get, you should use tonight to...get to know her?"

He growled. "She's been my _practice_ kid for almost three weeks now, I know enough, and all I want to know. Tonight wasn't supposed to be some bonding experience, it was just a mistake!"

Sulley shrugged. "That may be, but...I don't see why it can't turn into that, starting with apologizing to the kid."

The monster's glare, if anything, deepened and his face grew harder—if just to disguise how he was really feeling. Eventually, the glare faded, and instead he looked defeated and confused. "...I don't know _how_," he finally, softly growled in frustration. "I don't know how to do...any of this stuff!"

"It's not that hard, actually. When you're ready...it just kind of comes. And they'll be here all night, so you may as well try."

Randall was silent.

"You've got nothing to lose."

_My pride and dignity. At least, whatever is left of it._ You really didn't have much in this profession.

He looked briefly over at Boo, and she looked back at him with a smile and waved. He didn't wave back, still staring at the door. Finally, not even sure if he was the one making the movements, he walked to the door.

He thought he'd find the girl face down in bed and crying like any kid would be—Boo certianly would be. Instead she was on her back, bouncing Boo's ball off the wall of the blue monster's room.

_Sullivan's room..._ It looked different than Randall thought it would, but the lizard always thought there'd be more of his trophies and awards hung so he could boast to friends when they came over. He snapped away from the unpleasant thoughts and looked down at Emma, who was staring silently back with green eyes.

"I...uhh..."

_Gods..._

"...Sorry."

As awkward and dull as the apology had sounded it must have meant something to the girl because she looked at him hopefully. "Really?"

"Yeah. I just..." He shrugged. "I hate when anyone touches me."

"I do too," Emma admitted. "I mean—my parents try to hug me, but I don't really let them. I haven't in a while, for a few years at least. ...But they don't try to hug me very often anyway. Why don't you like it?"

Memories flashed of the cold, stinging pain of a shovel, the stab of a tranquilizer, and the punches and kicks of another multi-limbed monster. It had been so long since anyone had ever voluntarily touched him when they _weren't_ trying to hurt him. "Uh...it's nothing," he finally said, and turned to leave.

"Will you play with me?"

He winced at the question and turned back to the girl. She was on the edge of the bed and leaned in eagerly, even though she already knew the answer. Instinct told him to snap at the girl, but recalling what Sullivan had said (and not wanting to go through anymore lecture of 'bonding with children'), he sighed. "Play what?"

The girl gasped loudly, and the way her eyes suddenly sparkled was incredible. "I don't know, ball? Tag? Twister? HIDE AND SEEK!"

"Slow down, slow down!" he yelped. "Hide and seek?"

"Yeah, let's get Boo to play too!"

He couldn't help but whine. "She has to?"

"Sure! It's fun with more than one person!" And with that, the nine year old dashed out of the room. "Count!" she shouted back at the slightly blindsided monster. Randall growled to himself and started unenthusiastically counting to ten and covering his eyes as he walked out of the room.

Sulley raised an eyebrow at the monster, and the two girls that scrambled to hide. "What are you doing?"

Randall poked an eye out from under a set of hands to glare at the monster. "What does it _look,_ like, _Sullivan?_" he snapped grumpily. "I'm _playing_ hide and _seek,_ do you _mind?_" Sulley snickered.

"You aren't prepared for that, buddy," Mike warned, "You need some training from professionals like us to find Boo." He bit back a laugh as the monster whirled to him, highly affronted.

"Excuse me? Apparently you don't know who you're talking to, cretin. I'm the master of this kind of survival skill, so this game should be a cinch." And hopefully, with his level of skill, it'd be over soon as well.

Hiding under a chair, Emma grinned as she watched Randal's feet walk about through the living room. She peered out from under the curtain folds of the chair, watching with amazement as the serpentine monster somehow crawled up the walls. She stifled a laugh along with Mike and Sulley as a mischievous Boo skittered from one spot to the other when Randall wasn't looking.

With each passing minute, as he checked the area, Randall was growing more and more confused when he couldn't find Boo. It hadn't dawned on him a three year old would have the smarts to repetitively switch spots. "Where the heck is that twerp?"

Emma, meanwhile knew she'd only stay hidden under the chair for so long, and decided to try Boo's technique out. Sliding out from under the armchair, she made a beeline to the curtain, but her heavy feet alerted the monster.

"Gotcha!" Randall cackled out as he spun towards the nine year old. She pouted up at him, but the monster only cockily smirked back. "What'd I tell you? Easy as pie."

"Yeah, don't get too confident there, _Funny Face_," Mike advised with a knowing smirk (which became amused as Randall glared at the 'Funny Face' comment). "You still need to find Boo."

* * *

Sent to rot in prison and beaten by some southern inbreeds—not to mention a surprisingly gutsy little two year old, Randall never thought any defeat could be more humiliating.

But when he, a species of monsters adept to hiding and blending and being the master of hide and seek found himself losing that same game to a three year old, he found out how wrong he was.

"Clocking in on forty five minutes, Funny Face," Emma helpfully reminded from behind Sulley's chair, her freckled face grinning smugly at him.

"Shut it runt, no one asked for your input." He could have sworn he had checked every nook, cranny, and curtain at least twice (but he continued to remain oblivious to the way the stealthy toddler switched her spot every time he looked).

"Aw cheer up Randall, it could be worse," Sulley snickered, biting a laugh as he watched Boo silently skitter out behind the lizard. "Actually I don't know how it could be."

"I said shut—" He was cut off as he heard a small thump, the little girl's luck finally running out as she tripped in the middle of plain sight. Randall smirked eagerly and practically leaped on the kid, pointing a finger triumphantly at her. "Ah-HA! Got you, you little mouse!"

Boo squealed and clapped her hands to her face, smiling a smile that melted anyone's hearts. Even Randall felt his sneer fade off as he stared down at the child, something inside him being tugged.

"…Uh…"

Luckily, before anything could come of that strange moment, Emma got his attention. "Okay Funny Face, now it's your turn to hide!" Mike and Sulley exchanged skeptical looks, but Randall gave a dark, devious smirk.

"Oh kid, I almost feel bad for you."

"Yeah, yeah, you're all confident about your seeking abilities, despite how much you sucked, but how confident are you in your hiding abilities?"

He practically giggled with glee there. "Oh, we'll just say my confidence isn't very low. How about that, eh?"

Emma raised an eyebrow, but she merely shrugged. She was a better seeker than she was a hider, but not even she was prepared for the way the reptile abruptly vanished from sight—literally. "What the—how?!" She stared. "Whoa, that is so cool!" Then her excitement gave off to annoyance. "Cheater! You're a cheater, you can't do that!"

For the first time in...a _long_ time, he genuinely laughed. "We didn't set any rules, squirt. Sorry."

"That's still dirty play!" But the girl found herself laughing, and Boo giggled as well as the two attempted to scout around the room for the monster. Randall smirked, flattening himself against the wall. He briefly flickered, long enough to pop up in front of the startled girls' faces.

"Too slow!" And was gone again before they could reach him, repeating the process again and again as the kids shrieked with surprise and delight and laughed.

Sulley and Mike observed silently from a far chair as the two children and monsters played. This was the closest to happy they had ever seen Randall, at without it being at the expense of others misfortune anyway. What struck Sulley the most was seeing how happy and comfortable both kids were, especially Boo.

The clock struck eight; Boo's bedtime, but Sulley decided to let them play for just a while longer.

* * *

Randall was at the door and watching as two sleeping children were gently tucked under the covers of a bed absurdly large for just two little girls.

Their play had finally ended when he had made the mistake of appearing too close to Boo, who had promptly tugged his tail and startled him off the wall. Being twenty minutes over her usual bed time, Boo dropped the moment the game ended, and Emma followed soon after. Sulley thought it would be beneficial for Randall if he took Emma to the bedroom, but the lizard still balked at the idea.

Sulley bent down to gently brush Boo's straight bangs away from her forehead to give it a kiss. He then ran a tender paw once down Emma's blond hair and stepped away from the bed, flicking on a small, dim light on the wall.

"It's deja vu again," the polka-dotted monster found himself muttering in fondness.

"How so?"

"Well, every time I see Boo in this bed, I remember last year, the first time she slept on it. I thought I'd have to burn my sheets after it. She hasn't really slept in it since because we usually doze off in my chair. She loves sleeping in my arms."

"...How do you do it?"

"Huh?"

"This," Randall gestured all around him, "All of...this. Making them laugh is one thing, it's part of the _job_ now, but how do you do this? How are you...this way with her? Why is it so easy for you?"

Sulley shrugged blissfully and beamed at the sleeping three year old. "It's just love, I guess. And maybe one day, all of this will be just as easy for you too." He left that open ended as he exited the room, but Randall easily understood what his rival was implying.

The thought made him want to scoff, but as he gazed at the serene, innocent faces of the sleeping children, especially Emma, he found himself leaning against the door frame, deep in thought. Conflicting expressions crossed his face, and finally, he turned to leave the room.

Sulley was busy cleaning up after the kids and Mike (who had fallen dead asleep in a chair), and he glanced up in confusion when he saw Randall make his way to the door. "Where are you going?"

He snorted. "To get groceries.. I'm going to the factory, Sullivan, where else would I go at this hour?"

"...How? It's locked, and it's ten at night. You're always getting sick in the basement anyway. Just stay here for tonight, we've got a couch."

Randall snorted dubiously. "And you actually trust me?"

"Well you haven't tried strangling either of us yet and you've been beside us quite a few times." He shrugged light heartedly. "Guess I'll take my chances. Besides, we removed your probation cuff the other day anyway. And Emma and Boo would probably prefer it if you stayed."

He looked repulsed initially at the idea of staying with _them_ for the night...but he did have a point. The basement got freezing at night, he couldn't afford to always feel sick (nor did he want to deal with Fungus's mother-hen-ness). "...For tonight. Just for tonight." He didn't feel like slithering his way back to the factory in the dark anyway.

"Yeah, for tonight," Sulley agreed, and flicked off most of the lights-save for one in case Randall needed to get up later through the night.

* * *

It was impossible to sleep with Mike's snoring, and the plethora of questions and thoughts racing through his head. Randall hadn't even laid _down _yet when a tiny form sleepily pattered over to his couch. Hazy brown eyes blinked at him through the darkness.

"What are you doing up? Did Wazowski's snoring wake you too?" Both his and the brute's snoring combined could wake a house of dead people.

"Mike Wazowski," Boo babbled out, rubbing her tired eyes. She wormed her way up onto the couch, and Randall was still too tired and confused to protest, or care.

"This isn't how things were supposed to be if I ever got back," Randall began, most likely not lucid enough to realize he was talking to a three year old. "For starters, I wasn't supposed to be turned into one of Sullivan's little clowns. I couldn't imagine the company being this way-ever. But then, I guess I never heard a kid laugh before. It's...different than screams."

It was more...welcoming. Almost strangely comforting.

"And I guess I should probably thank you for even being back here at all, huh?" He glanced down at the toddler, and he wasn't surprised to find she had fallen fast asleep at the end of the couch. He thought about getting the girl back to her room, or kicking her off the cushion, but both required effort he was too exhausted to give.

His thoughts still jumbled and uncertain, Randall hesitantly laid his head down on the cushion and tried all night not to dream of the laughter of the two children.


	6. Chapter 6

_(This chapter is a pretty big heart cruncher, and I guess there's some trigger warning for implied abuse. Nothing really descriptive or heavy, but yeah, a bit of implied abuse. We go even deeper into Randall's backstory, and you find out more about his family life, and Silver (who is to be a very important character). There's also a bit of Mike and Randall development cause I'm a sucker for their wayward friendship._

_Next chapter won't be until after I get back home in two weeks possibly. Silver is copyright my friend Floridias_Firefly)_

* * *

_Randall hummed as he blissfully stirred some batter up in a large, metallic bowl. He was getting the batter absolutely everywhere, but his mother didn't rebuke him and only cleaned the spills as she watched with an affectionate smile._

_"Giving the counters a taste of your cupcakes too, sweetie?"_

_The four year old blinked down at the spills from his batter, and his scales flushed an adorable pink. "Oops. Hehe, I guess so! I can't wait til Silver tries a taste of these! I know he's gonna love 'em!"_

_The door opened the moment he finished speaking, and he gasped when his eleven year old brother slowly trudged in. As he did every time, he ran up and threw his multiple, tiny arms around Silver's waist. "Silver! Hi!"_

_The older sibling mumbled a hello and petted his head. He avoided eye contact with his mother as he tried to go to his room. Elsa stopped him._

_"Now wait a minute, young man. Don't you have a report card to show me?"_

_"No...I..uh, left it at school."_

_Randall was only four at the time, so he only understood half of what was happening as his brother was scolded for a bad grade and tried to run off. He blinked as he watched his mother accidentally yank on Silver's tail, which had always been crooked at a weird angle for as long as Randall could remember. He was always told Silver bumped it when he was his age._

_But as he watched his apologetic mother try to soothe his now sobbing brother, something told him his brother hadn't just bumped his tail. And it wouldn't be until later that Randall would learn about the real reason for his brother's funny tail, and the many marks on his mother and brother that had never healed._

* * *

The moon was lowering past the horizon when three tired and yet strangely content monsters made their way down the dark streets at five in the morning with two children-taking care to make sure the streets were vacant and lights were off before doing so.

"So this is what you two do every night with the shrimp?" Randall asked as they made the ten minute walk to the factory. "How have you not gotten caught yet? Either by the kid's mother, or by some other monsters roaming?"

Sulley chuckled. "Well when you do this every night, you catch onto schedules pretty quickly. You have to. Boo's parents wake up for work at six in the morning, and so that's when they come to check on her." He shrugged, a somewhat sheepish look on his face. "I make slip ups now and again. Once I got her in late, and they were looking for her."

"You've gotta be careful with that, Sull'," Mike advised. "When kids go missing parents alert the authorities in their world. If _that_ happens enough she could be taken by the authorities. You'd lose her forever." He patted the furry monster's shoulder sympathetically as he inadvertently seemed to grip the sleeping toddler tighter.

"It's risky no matter what way you swing it," Randall said. "Even if the twerps' parents check on them at a certain time, they could always come in earlier. Or sometimes, parents just peek into the kids' doors for the heck of it. I know my mom did that a lot. This really shouldn't be made into a habit." Of course, that ship had already sailed.

"What about you, kid?" Mike asked Emma—the only one of the group who was still skipping along with plenty of energy. "What's your schedule?"

"Well my Dad works away in another city _all_ week. He comes home on weekends only. Mom's usually the one that stays and looks after us, but last night she went next door for a few hours. And since it was next door, she thought we'd be okay for a bit. Tina _is _nearly twelve, after all...

"I've got this system going, where when I shut my door it means I'm in a really bad mood and I don't want anyone coming in. It hasn't failed yet-except for when Mom _had_ to drag us out of the house when the fire alarm went off. As long as I have the door closed I can probably come over anytime!"

The other monsters chuckled but Randall blanched.

"I don't think so," the lizard snapped. "I just said we can't make this out to be a habit!"

"Aw, but Boo could use a friend Randall," Sulley practically pouted, gesturing the sleeping girl up with a paw. "She doesn't have any other kids to play with here."

"Oh, she has plenty of kids to play with in her world I'm sure," he snipped back, grabbing Emma's hand and dragging her down the hall of the factory in case she tried to make another get-a-way. "She doesn't need one every night."

He pulled the child along until they reached the machines by the door slots on the laugh floor. Swiping her file card through the machine slot, the creamy blue door slowly descended into view.

"My world sucks compared to yours," Emma griped as she flopped down onto her mattress. Scowling, Randall came over to her side. "I don't see why I can't just stay in the monster world. After all, it's not like anyone here even appreciates me anyway..."

A conflicted look crossed his face, and his mouth creased in understanding—which he quickly shook away. "If I can do it, you can do it, kid," he mumbled as he turned to leave.

"Wait!"

He hissed, ready to bark at the girl to stop stalling her bed time. Every second he stayed here so early in the morning risked someone bursting in at every moment. "_Look_, kid-"

But whatever he was going to say died and was swallowed as the nine year old abruptly threw her arms around his waist. His multiple arms went up in alarm and he staggered from the impact, staring wide-eyed down at the little thing latched to his waist.

"Thanks for taking me tonight," she mumbled into his chest.

He utterly froze, and couldn't move a muscle.

Emma hopped back just as quickly in embarrassment. Her cheeks were beet red. "You're the first person—er, thing—I've hugged in a really long time." She played with her hair nervously. "I don't do it a lot. Like you, I usually hate touching anybody, but...it felt right." She blushed more. "Ya know?"

There was a barrage of things running through Randall's mind, the warmth of the girl's arms still lingering. No one had ever done that to him before—no child anyway. And he couldn't explain what it felt like.

Or how it had touched him somewhere in the depths of his closed heart.

"Uh-uhhmm...yeah, well...good night, kid." Refusing to look into the bright, smiling face, he shut the door.

* * *

Randall scowled in annoyance and turned the volume up higher on the tv as Mike's pitiful pleads and Sulley's firm "no"s grew louder. At least back in the basement it was quieter—up until he broke the silence himself with his pitiful coughing. After his last bout of illness had landed him in the nurse's station he somehow found himself permanently residing with Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumber.

"Look Big Guy, I love Boo, I really do, but there's no way I'm taking a three year old on a date!" He looked down at the little tot that was poorly attempting to do a headstand by the front of the couch. "She'd hardly add to a romantic atmosphere, not to mention the fact I don't even think you can bring children to an opera. Why can't you just put her back into her door?"

"Have you lost your mind?" Sulley snapped back. "I just told you I'm going to the factory to help Roz out with something. What am I suppose to do—just waltz in with Boo? I don't even know if her old costume would fit her."

Randall stood there and watched as the conversation and eventually insults were thrown back and forth between the two squabbling monsters, until he eventually rolled his eyes and held up one of his hands. "Uh hello, twerp sitter number three here?"

The shouting stopped as both of them eyed him as if he had four heads instead of multiple limbs. "Yeah, I expected that reaction. Anyway, I'm going to my mother's." His frills flattened, irked by the way they further looked at him. "Don't look at me like that, even _bad guys_ have moms."

"You're not taking Boo," Sulley growled sharply, in a tone that made even Mike shut up for a second. "There's no way that's gonna happen."

Randall snorted. "Oh what, you give me a practice kid, you make me _play_ with the practice kid, you even let me stay here in your crumby apartment, and you still think I'll put the twerp in danger?" His tail twitched in impatience when he felt the girl bat at it. "I'm going to my mother's, Sullivan, I'm not taking her to a battlefield."

"I remember your mother!" Mike blurted out without thinking. "Didn't you tell me she taught you how to bake?" Randall flushed and the fury fell from Sulley's face. His lips twitched up in amusement.

"You..._bake?"_

"_Shut up!" _He was mortified when the brute started snickering, claws curled and threatening to grab his throat. "Ugh, fine, yes I can _bake!_ Look, the kid will be safe at my mother's. She...ugh, loves kids, so I'm pretty sure she'll go crazy over the shrimp. The worst thing that could happen would be her winding up with a belly ache from all the treats my mother will probably try to stuff into her." He winced as Sulley's eyebrows shot up. "I didn't phrase that well."

"We may as well let him, Pal," Mike suggested with a shrug. "What have we got to lose? Literally speaking, you _could_ lose Boo if Roz catches her wandering there. You can't exactly put her back in that monster costume, Roz can see right through it."

Sulley glanced down at the three year old still trying to catch Randall's tail, and at the glaring lizard that tried to hold it out of reach of her grabby hands. "I don't know..."

He couldn't believe he was actually considering this and not blurting out with a straight, angry no. This was Randall, the deranged monster that had tried to kidnap the girl, strangle him and...do _gods_ know what to the helpless toddler. And yet... He glanced back.

You wouldn't even be able to tell that ever was the case now, between the giggling toddler trying to nab the lizard tail, and the lizard that seemed to be playing keep-a-way with it with a somewhat fond look.

"...Alright," he finally agreed, shocking both monsters. "We don't have much of a choice anyway." A growl rumbled him and he took a step forward, towering over the lizard. Even Randall found himself taking a step back and staring up at him. "But if you let ANYTHING happen to her..." He remembered the lizard's old threat. "_I_ will put you through the shredder."

He backed off and stepped away. Randall felt more annoyed than anything, raising an eyebrow at the brute as he backed off and turned to leave with Mike. He snorted and heavily rolled his eyes, snatching up Boo and making his way to the door. "Come on twerp. If I have to choose between a night with the two ding-dongs and you, I'll choose _you_."

* * *

"Keep the zipper up, kid!" Randall growled for the umpteenth time as he banged Boo's curious fingers away from the metal zipper. "We're still out in the open and if someone sees you out here you might never be able to come back."

She got the message and tugged the green little hood down over her face. The green disguise looked so much better, Randall thought. He didn't even know how Sullivan's chair-fabric-creation had passed for believable now that he looked at it, but this costume was high quality fabric, and it looked exactly like scales; slick as if it was slimy too.

"That's the best, most realistic monster costume money can buy," Randall told the little critter-kid as she toddled after him up the gravel path. "In fact I spent most of the money I had on that dumb costume, so you better appreciate it."

Gods, the lengths he was going to protect Sullivan's dumb little twerp. He glared down at the little three year old, but the moment he set eye on the dopey, innocent little thing as she blissfully chased after a butterfly, he found his lips twitching.

"You'll like my mom, because she's nothing like me. She loves kids. I bet she'll spoil you rotten." The girl wriggled her face slightly through the hood to grin at the monster, eyes wide and excited as they made their way to the door.

A hand raised to knock on the door, but it paused in mid-tap, and started shaking. It had been years. Too many in fact. For all he knew his mother had moved past him. It wasn't as if he was a very accomplished son. ...None of her children were that way. Would she even remember him? Did she even want to?

"Let's go, twerp," he mumbled as he turned to leave, feeling his voice turn funny and his eyes starting to sting. "We'll just go back to the apartment or something." He started marching off the porch, but Boo lingered there and glanced at the door in confusion. She made a few sounds of distress, and Randall rolled his eyes.

"I said _let's go."_

She must have whimpered enough because the front door opened as a perplexed, light magenta lizard poked her face out of the doorway. Her eyes fell on Boo's costumed form, and she gently picked her up. She didn't see her son in the background, who was currently frozen in fear. "Hello, sweetheart," she crooned as she situated the child in a cradling position. "Who do you belong to?"

Randall was literally petrified to the walking path as he heard his mother murmur to the little girl. He didn't know what to do. His feet twitched with the urge to run, but he knew he couldn't just leave the twerp with her. Not if he valued any of his limbs.

"...Randy?"

His heart leaped to his throat, and he suddenly felt that emotional vulnerability he hadn't since he was a child. His mother was the only one who could break his walls down as if they were made of paper.

Foot steps became louder until they were right behind him, and Randall could hear the tears as his mother breathed behind him. He was caught, he knew it, and he had no choice but to turn around. The moment he did, his green eyes met the same misty ones.

The female lizard stared at him as if he was an apparition. She must have thought he was because she reached out and gently cupped his face in her hands to see if he was real. Feeling her touch, still gentle and tender as it always was, Randall felt tears threatening him.

"...Hey Mom," he finally mumbled, his throat feeling clogged with tears. Elsa's face broke into a large, quivering grin as she wrapped her multiple arms around her baby, and hugged him close. Automatically, without giving it a thought, Randall returned the gesture.

"Oh Randy, my baby boy," she whispered breathlessly as she swayed him gently back and forth. "My precious little boy..."

His face pressed against his mother's top shoulder, Randall felt the sting in his eyes that came before tears. He sniffled and flushed with shame when he realized Boo was still there, and worse, looking up at him.

"I can't believe it's you," Elsa whispered as she eventually pulled back and wiped hers and her baby's eyes. "I thought you were..." Her voice trailed off, but Randall could tell by the way it hitched painfully what she had assumed.

"I know, Mom." He gave a wry, watery smile. "Still kicking though." The Mama's-boy part of him that never grew up smiled inwardly when she affectionately tapped his nose, and opened the door for him to go into it.

Nothing looked different. It seemed like it was decades ago, when the quaint little cottage was filled with laughter, love, and family. He gazed outwardly to the living room, to the worn leather chair his brother and him always chased each other around, and the carpet full of spills from those jittery nights they watched scary movies with pop and snacks.

"Everything looks the same," he commented to his mother as he grazed a hand fondly over the dulled edge of the counter where he remembered bumping his head running to get dessert. "Literally _everything._" He chuckled awkwardly. "You didn't even change the carpet, even though it's ridiculously stained."

Pulling out a pan of cookies at the oven's ding, Elsa gave a melancholic smile. "I kept it for the memories. When you and your brother..._left_, I wanted to make sure I kept every memory of you both that I had." She smiled as a curious Boo caught the scent of the cookies and toddled over. "Is she yours?"

Randall gave a loud snort. "Oh yeah, she's mine alright." He kept quiet on the girl's identity, unsure if his mother was ready for that yet. "No, I'm looking after her. Don't feed her or else she'll never leave." He rolled his eyes affectionately as his mother scooped the toddler into her lap and set a plate of cookies in front of them both. Boo instantly began chowing down.

The lightheartedness had begun to fade from the air with each passing second and each munch of a cookie. Randall could feel his mother's sharp, disapproving eyes staring him down from across the table and he bit his lip. Boo of course remained blissfully unaware to everything but her treats.

"I couldn't believe the stories I had heard," his mother began. "I didn't want to believe the stories I heard. My son, my baby being banished...kidnapping, attempting murder..." She shook her head. "The city is unkind and unreliable, I know. Many of those could be rumors, but..." She looked painfully at her son, silently pleading for him to clarify they were all lies, but he never did.

"Everything I did was...supposed to be for the good of our world." The justification felt so stale now, because he knew it wasn't the reason and he had far more malicious intent than that. "I mean...I was only trying to end the energy crisis. The machine was supposed to work, and we never cared about kids so I didn't think it'd be a loss."

"Scaring them is one thing," Elsa began, shaking as the tears spilled over her cheeks. "But...hurting them? There had to have been other ways to solve the problem!"

She was right, there was. Obviously there was if they were doing so well today in the company. He never made the effort to find a more benign solution because the lives of the kids had supposedly meant nothing to their kind. Yet still...

"I...I knew it was wrong."

"And you still did it." Elsa's voice was ice cold, and hard in disappointment.

"Yes..." That was perhaps what hurt the most, knowing he had utterly ignored the inhumanity he knew his mother would disapprove of. He never stopped to think about what it could cause, or how it would affect his mother. He was supposed to be the good one, the sweet child that was an example of his mother's shining upbringing. He was never supposed to be like his brother.

He shut his eyes when he felt Boo clamber up onto the couch beside him with her tiny little arms and legs. He wouldn't look at her, but he did flip down the startled child's hood.

Elsa, understandably, gasped in shock at the sight of a real, genuine human child there on her couch. It was like seeing a zebra outside of its pen at the zoo. She looked at the baby. She squinted, and slowly shook her head in denial when it dawned on her.

Randall felt his blood turn to ice when his mother made the connection. She glanced from him to the little cookie-crumb-faced toddler sitting on the other side of the couch, and one of her hands flew to her chest.

_"Gods,_ Randy, no..."

The lizard bit his lip and found his head hanging in shame, much like when he was a child and did something wrong. For some reason the guilt weighed much heavier just being around his mother. Perhaps it was because all a child wanted in life was their parents' approval and pride, and to know he had shattered hers like this...

"Randy, she's a defenseless _baby_ _girl_, tell me you didn't." His mother's voice became choked with sobs, because she remembered it, the headline in the paper that made her heart stop. The news her son was banished, the photo of a young two year old with pigtails. "Randy..."

Boo gazed up when she heard the elder reptile sob, and glanced from Randall to his mother.

"I know," Randall croaked. "Mom, I know. I wasn't thinking, and I-"

He shut his eyes when he heard his mother give an anguished cry and start to sob. Boo turned over to the female lizard with a worried pout and creased eyebrows. Randall unzipped the rest of her costume and she toddled over to his mother.

Elsa shakily picked the toddler up when she whined in distress, and gazed into the wide, innocent eyes. The pain was greater as she looked into them. knowing her baby had nearly been responsible for taking this baby's life. "I never raised you to become this...to do this." She shook her head at her son, who painfully gazed back. "You were...supposed to turn out different."

His vision blurred when he realized what his mother was implying, and he had to take a few breaths before he spoke again, or a sob had the danger of slipping out. "I guess...I didn't."

He had loved his brother, he had feared him, and now, he had become him. He became the very image, the very person he promised his mother he'd never be. He had barely just gotten out of college when he heard the news of Silver's banishment. And by then he was too far gone to even let the grief effect him. Never having a father in his life, he relied on Silver to fill the void, and he had become a Dad as much as he was a brother. But never was he a good role model.

There was no doubt in Randall's mind, had he not been in college at the time that he would have been behind bars, and banished like his brother.

_Oh, but you managed to get there pretty easy without him, didn't you?_ A cold voice snickered at him in his head. _You don't need him to teach you everything after all._

"I should have done more for you both," Elsa whispered, her voice grated with tears of regret and self loathing. "I should have done more to help your brother. After the incident with your father I tried to...make up for all that had happened, but I knew it was too late. Something had..._happened. _I just know he would have turned out different if your father hadn't-"

"Mom." Randall stopped her there as he glanced over pointedly to Boo. The child was listening intently, staring worriedly between both mother and son.

"Mom, you can't blame yourself for how Silver..." He paused, and took in a difficult sigh. "How w-we turned out... Look, I made my own mistakes. It was never anything you did. I let myself get in with the wrong crowd, and started to follow Silver's motto..._we don't need anybody else_. That was...probably the biggest mistake I made."

Boo slipped down from Elsa's lap and toddled over to Randall. She didn't say a word or even whine as she held her arms out to him. Without even thinking about it, Randall lifted the girl onto the cushion beside him.

His mind was just a jumble of emotions as he looked at the child who had a tiny hand rested on his knee. "I don't know _what_ to do. Humans are so confusing. This one should hate me." And yet she was the first one to ever show him kindness. "I miss when kids were toxic, when we didn't have to wonder about what went on in their heads. Everything was so much easier."

He extended a hand almost curiously, cupping the side of the toddler's head. Boo tilted her head sideways so that her cheek was laying in his palm.

"Maybe you should count this as a blessing," Elsa said softly, lovingly smoothing back her baby's frills. "For whatever reason, you have a chance to make things right now. You can make up for the wrong you've done."

Randall hesitated, his mind flashing back to Sullivan, to Mike, Boo, and especially to Emma. They were all willing to give him a chance and see past all he did. But how was he supposed to repent for it? And was that what he really wanted?

He looked up when he felt his mother wipe his face from the tears he didn't even realize had fallen. "Why don't you go lay down for a bit while I make dinner? I've kept your old room..."

He nodded and started slowly slithering to his room with the toddler in toe. Elsa watched him go. Her frills flattened disapprovingly against her head and she abruptly turned and whipped her tail across the younger lizard's backside, making him give a loud yelp and quickly skitter through the door.

He groaned and rubbed the red stripe across his rear. He should have expected that. His mother had never been one to raise a hand—er, tail, on him, but then he had never attempted kidnapping nor murder growing up. He glared when Boo giggled.

"Stuff it, shrimp."

His mother hadn't been lying when she said she had kept all the memories she could. Everything in his room was placed in the exact same position it had been in when he left it. Yet, none of it carried a speck of dust; it was clear she came and cleaned it often.

He smiled fondly at a worn, foam football Boo picked up curiously. "I remember that old thing. It was my favorite thing to play with when I was with my brother. This was his first football, and when I got older, he taught me how to play with this thing."

The evenings frittered away out in the yard, where his brother had a makeshift football field with the little space they had, chalk drawn across the grass to mark the border. He remembered staying out so late Elsa often scolded them to come inside. They did that every night, until his brother decided he didn't want to play with the crumby thing anymore.

He ran a hand over the furnishing of his and Silver's old bunk beds and looked at the wall when something caught his eye. He grabbed Boo in his tail and scaled to the top bunk. Next to the _Monsters University_ banner his brother always hung there for inspiration was a new board with pictures tacked all over it.

It was him and his brother as children. They were so young in some of the photos, their wide eyes still full of innocence. As the years went on there was always a distinct lack of sparkle and happiness in Silver's eyes. It had been that way since their father left.

Randall chuckled tearfully as he gingerly picked up a pair of large, purple glasses. Turning them over fondly in his hands, he looked over as Boo pointed inquisitively to the photos.

"That's my family. There's Mom." He pointed to a class photo of a silver lizard with more frills than him. "That's my brother, Silver. I grew up with them both."

Daddy?"

Randall turned to see Boo pointing to the photo collage with a confused expression on her face. She touched a photo of his mother, and of his brother and him, and glanced back at him, seeming worried.

He swallowed when he felt a pang in his chest. "There wasn't really one," was all he said. Even he knew you couldn't tell a three year old this kind of stuff. "It doesn't matter."

She kept looking at him and back at the photo. Her little eyebrows creased and she bit her lower lip as she kept looking at him. This didn't make sense to her. She was still at an age where her idea of a perfect family wasn't missing a parent.

Randall shook his head as she kept staring at him. She was smart, remarkably so; so much more than any adult he knew. She always knew when something was wrong, and she always pressed to get it. He found it so much easier to talk to her than anyone else he knew. A baby.

Maybe he _was_ going insane.

"I never grew up with a…Daddy." The nursery title felt wrong to say, and not just because he should be passed the age of using it. "Well he was gone before I was born. My brother was seven when I was born. So he had him for seven years. He was…" He tried to find a way to phrase this for a child. "He was really mean, my father. He got…mad a lot. He hurt people."

Memories flashed through his mind, of the scars adorning his brother and his mother's skin.

"You don't hurt family. You aren't supposed to. I might be the meanest, scariest monster you know but I never hurt my mother or my brother. That's not the way it's supposed to go." Especially when you trust your parents to be the only ones to never hurt you…

A part of him felt guilty and sick at the look of pain on her face, like it was taking a piece of the girl's innocence. She was too young to have to know the ones you were supposed to trust were capable of hurting you. He felt an odd sense of protectiveness, like he wanted to shield the girl's mind…just as he could never shield his brother.

"I've said enough," he told the child in a shaky, gruff voice. "There's a lot of things you're too young to know." And a lot of details that he wouldn't even tell another adult. "But, uh…promise me something."

She looked at him curiously with tears in her eyes.

"Promise me that if anyone ever hurts you or tries to…you'll tell someone. Tell your Mommy."

She kept looking at him.

"Don't ever keep it from her…"

Somehow, the three year old understood the question because she gave him a serious nod, and he picked her up and crawled back down to the floor. He felt too restless to lay down.

As he opened his door to the kitchen, his eyes widened in excitement and surprise by the nostalgic scent of batter and sugar. His mother was baking cupcakes.

"Randy? I thought you were going to lay down for a bit."

He snickered as he slithered out to the kitchen. "The smell of baking woke me up I guess. Making cupcakes for old times sake, huh, Mom?"

His mother laughed and ruffled his frills. "I thought you'd like it. I remember you were just three when you tried to make me your first cupcake."

"Out of _mud_," he laughed. "Oh and what were the sprinkles? Pieces of twigs and pebbles. I still can't believe you took a little bite out of it."

She grabbed his cheek. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings. If you ever get to be a parent you'll understand."

"You were sick that night."

"Again, you'll do anything for your child. I couldn't let a perfect cupcake go to waste, could I?."

"Yeah? Well my baking skills can possibly rival yours now. In fact, I'm probably better." He sneered playfully as his mother gaped at him. "Oh come on, I was at university! You have any idea how many cook books the library had?"

His mother smirked back at him. "Challenging me, are you? Fine, get the sugar and eggs and we'll just see who's the best out of this household."

"Got it. Hey twerp, wanna help your old pal bake? Maybe I'll let you lick the bowl if you're good."

Boo gave him a deadpan glare, and he rolled his eyes.

"_Fine, _I'll let you taste test one of mine if you get me the bag of sugar." Boo skittered over to a small sack rested against the fridge, and Randall took out the carton of eggs. "There, now we're all ready for our bake off!"

Elsa looked over at something in his hand. "Not quite."

"Huh?"

He blinked as she took the purple glasses out of his fingers and put them on his eyes. She smiled at him. _"Now_ we're ready to bake."

* * *

It was past seven when Sulley and Mike got back home. The apartment was dimmed and quiet, but it had been unlocked so they knew Randall was back with Boo. Sulley had finished going through scattered forms with a very irate Roz, and managed to catch a ride with Mike, who got out of the opera at the same time.

"Tired, Pal?" Mike asked as they shut and locked the door behind them. "You've got bags under your eyes."

"Yeah, and you've got stars in yours," Sulley commented, and snickered as Mike flushed.

"Yeah, well, love will do that to you, Big Guy." He sighed dreamily. "Or just Celia. Celia has that affect on everybody."

"Mhm, yeah," the large monster responded dryly. "Cause I turn into a pile of romantic goo too when she's here." He looked around when he noticed how quiet everything was. "Hey, where's Randall?"

On cue a serpentine silhouette slithered out to the main door. He flickered on the light, and the moment he did, it somehow felt as if a block of cement had slammed Mike in the chest.

_"Hey there, I'm your roomie! Name's Randy Boggs! Scaring major!"_

_"Oh well, Mike Wazowski, scaring major!"_

_"I can tell we're gonna be best chums, Mike!"_

The green monster was horrified when he felt the tears well in his one eye. "Okay Sull, I'm gonna go, and uhh..." He didn't even finish his sentence as he abruptly left the room, covering his eye.

Randall and Sulley exchanged looks, but didn't think much of it. Sulley snickered as he passed the lizard, into the kitchen. "Nice glasses."

"Huh—oh." Randall's scales flushed a light pink when he realized the nerdy frames were still on his face. He snorted and went to carelessly toss the frames aside, but had a second thought and instead held onto them. "Oh, you're not gonna like the condition your kid is in."

"What?" Sulley instantly snarled, turning to the lizard with wild eyes. "What did you do?" Undaunted and in fact amused, Randall pointed over to the corner of the kitchen, where a certain little girl sat amongst a pile of cupcakes, covered from head to toe in fluffy icing. She grinned when she saw him.

"Kitty!"

"Oh Geez..."

Randall snickered affectionately at the girl. Whatever benign way he could use to make Sullivan miserable was always just fine with him. He left the furry monster with the mess and wandered his way back into the living room, where a small green form sat hunched in the darkness. And it wasn't hard to tell he was crying.

"What's with you, Wazowski?" He received no answer and was ready to give up and walk off( what did he care if the little green bean was crying?) until it struck him _when_ Mike had left the room earlier. When he was wearing his glasses.

_Oh._

For the second time that day he froze, the same kind of twinge of pain hitting his chest. And unlike when he finally saw his mother again for the first time in ages, he had no explanation for what he felt now. He stood there as he listened to the sniffles. It annoyed him, but not because the sound itself was annoying.

But because he utterly had no idea what to do.

Slowly, he found himself sinking onto the couch as well, wondering if his presence, however awkward it was, somehow was enough of a comfort. He heard the tears drip onto the cushion even as Mike himself remained pretty quiet otherwise.

"Look uh...I didn't _mean_ to leave the stupid glasses on. It's just, my mother wanted me to wear them for some reason and I guess I forgot. I didn't think you'd go off with the waterworks!" Mike looked over at him, and Randall really froze there.

"I'm fine," Mike lied. "I just didn't expect to see you in them...I was surprised."

Randall gave him a deadpan look. "You were surprised, so you _cried_."

"..."

"That's what I thought." He gazed over at his enemy—ally? Companion?-and grunted in self-annoyance when he realized he felt a twinge of concern. "I..." They were living together now, and he depended on both monsters in order to _survive_ right now. He knew he couldn't just side step this. And he had bled his heart out today, why not do it again?

"I never should have let myself get so caught up with everything in college. I should have been there when you needed me." His eyes were shut, and he was relieved he couldn't see Mike's expression. "I mean...there's no sense dwelling on things, but I've been doing that all day, so." He gave an almost playful shrug and sighed when he saw Mike was still crying. "Aw geez, would you stop it already?" he snapped, greatly uncomfortable. "What else do you want?!"

Mike finally did laugh a little and wiped his eye. "Nothing buddy, I just...I've waited a while for this I guess. Actually I stopped waiting cause I didn't think the monster I knew was still in there. But... Heh, I guess he still is. Somewhere."

Randall's frills inadvertently flattened and he frowned skeptically, but for some reason he didn't bother to tell him not to call him Buddy this time.

"...There's some cupcakes left. Uh, if you want them, I mean." He couldn't help but smile slightly when the green monster gave him a shocked look. "You didn't think I'd completely stop my baking, did you? I lived on my own for so long, who else would provide the sweets for me?"

Mike chuckled. "Yeah, sure Randall. Hope I don't accidentally knock the tray over this time."

"You do and I'll toss you in the garbage compacter."


	7. Chapter 7

_(Wow, this chapter was up fast. I don't know, I just kinda sped through writing it last night when my muse was good and flowing. I'm so pleased with the reception this fic has gotten, especially for my little Emma. I know it's hard to make likable OCs, but I'm glad everyone seems to adore her. There's plenty of art and such of her and Randall, and Boo on my fic's tumblr, thescalypurplemonster. You'll also find lots of sneak peeks and cute little story snippets there._

_My trip has been going wonderful by the way. c: I went to the Disney store and got plushies of Randall, Boo, and Mike. I even got the deluxe figurine set. Now if I could only get someone to make me a plush of Emma I'd be all set..._

_Next chapter synopsis: Through Emma's photography, the gang realizes the idea of a company scrapbook is a great idea.)_

* * *

Randall cursed his life and everyone in it as he dumped another bucket-full of sudsy water onto the three year old's sticky brown hair, and watched in distaste as the maple syrup mingled with the bath water.

Sullivan really should know better than to have a quart of syrup at the bottom of the pantry, where it was so easily accessible. Then again, he as a caretaker should have kept a closer eye on the twerp, he supposed.

When did I become a caretaker? He muttered to himself as he scrubbed the sticky mess off the child's back and arms.

The kid had stealth, that was for sure. He should have gathered that enough from the hide and seek game, but how she so easily snuck into the kitchen behind his back and managed to get into a whole bottle of maple syrup was beyond him.

It was probably the first time he had ever used her name (or what the two buffoons dubbed as her name anyway) when he saw her there in the golden puddle. At first he thought she was sitting in the world's largest _pee puddle_ up until she licked it.

"Bubbles!" Boo babbled as she watched one of the soapy spheres float over to the ceiling. She jumped up to reach one hovering over Randall.

Randall rolled his eyes and scowled as the little three year old beamed up at him with her wide, doleful eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you're not _cute_, so stop trying to _woo_ me." He looked away when she giggled, worried a smile might slip if he didn't. "Twerp number two, hand me the sponge."

Standing by watching the scene in amusement, Emma leered playfully at the monster and tossed the sponge at his head. He caught it with lightning reflexes and glared at her. "_Em-ma._"

"I'll call you _Emma_ the day you stop calling me _Funny Face_."

"Funny Face is perfect though!" Emma grinned, "it's...silly and suiting. Randall just sounds intimidating and you are _not_ intimidating."

He rolled his eyes to the high heavens and whined. "Oh, great, that's exactly what I want to hear." He probably lost his intimidating stature the day he told his first joke. "Ugh, what's in this stuff to make it so sticky?!"

_"...Syrup?"_

"...Shut up." He grabbed the giggling Boo and started scrubbing her belly and sides to rid it of the sticky residue. He scrubbed vigorously and harshly as a penalty for her naughtiness, but the child only giggled and squealed as the sponge tickled her.

"Stop laughing!" Randall exclaimed, raising one of his many arms over his face for coverage as the toddler laughed and splashed. "You're not supposed to be enjoying this, I am _trying_ to punish you!"

She hiccuped and giggled and Randall rolled his eyes in partial endearment. He lifted the soaked little girl from the tub and wrapped her in a towel Emma gave him. "I did not sign on for this."

"For what, bathing Booberry, or just having to look after us kids?"

"All of the above, wait—Booberry?"

"Yeah! I think she looks like a Booberry."

"What is with you and nicknames anyway?"

The three of them turned when they heard the sound of jingling keys, and a door opening. One of them did more than just turn as she tossed her towel to the floor and bolted towards the front door.

"Augh, wait, twerp!" Randall shouted as he scrambled after the naked toddler on all limbs. "Show some modesty, you forgot your clothes!"

Three different voices that were talking stopped and turned into laughter the moment the naked blur came barreling towards them. She attached herself to Sulley's arm, gleefully chirping, "Kitty!"

"Oh my," Celia gasped through a giggle as she rubbed the toddler's head with a tentacle. "When did you get so rebellious, sweetie?"

"Boo!" Sulley chuckled as he lifted the bare-bummed child into the air. "Isn't it a little too early in the year to be running around in your Birthday suit?" The other three monsters laughed, and a flushing Randall skittered hurriedly over and snatched the girl.

"Hey she takes after you, Bug Guy!" Mike snickered. "You never wear clothes!"

"Neither do you!" Sulley laughed.

"I'm gonna save you all some time to point out we're _all_ freaking naked," Randall deadpanned as he pulled a pink nightgown over the girl's head and lightly pushed her away from him. "Don't ask, we had a little maple syrup incident. You need locks on your cabinets, Sullivan."

"Ha, been meaning to get some... Hey, what's with Emma?"

Randall blinked when he realized the kid wasn't beside him. They had both run after Boo the same time. He spun around and was perplexed to see the nine year old hanging back at the hallway and digging her fingernails into the wall for support. "What's with you, kid? Out of shape or something?"

Emma had to take a few breaths before she could speak. "Yeah, that's probably it. I'm not like Tina, I don't like many sports, and no one ever wants me on their teams anyway. So I don't get all the exercise she does." She shrugged carelessly and pattered over to the group of monsters in her stocking feet. "Wow, more of Funny Face's friends?" She blinked up at Celia's hair. "Why does your hair have eyes? ...And mouths?"

Celia smiled and knelt down to the nine year old's level. "My, she's an inquisitive one. Is this Emma, Michael?"

"Hehe, yep. That's Randall's kid."

Randall felt something entwine inside his heart at the words, and Emma, judging by her smile, seemed to feel the strange sense of warmth as well. She beamed up at him, but he quickly looked away. "Uhhh..." He shook it off and looked over at George. "Sanderson, what are you doing here?"

"Ohhh, I just wanted to check on the new recruit. Welcome to—er, back—to our team, Randall!"

Randall stared. "What?"

"Oh, right!" Sulley knocked his fist against his head in embarrassment for being so absent minded. "Almost forgot to tell you Randall, I've decided I think you're ready to try out being on the floor." He must have realized how pale the lizard was because he smiled reassuringly. "It's just to try out. If you're not ready, no one will make you do it. I think you're comfortable around kids enough."

"I don't like kids," Randall tried to growl.

"You like us!" Emma piped.

"Now that's up for debate..."

"Just give it a try, Pal," Mike advised. "You'll do fine. You've made Emma laugh quite a bit. You've got some funny bone in ya."

"Take it from me," George began as he slung an arm around Randall's scrawny shoulders. The lizard tensed and froze. "I didn't think I could even go back to those rooms after everything that happened with the CDA. I didn't feel like being shaven bare again. But since I've been with Jessie—oh, it's been a blast. I just love all the kids, but Jessie..." He beamed with pride and joy. "Jessie's my kid."

"That's kind of what we call it now," Mike said as he gestured over to Boo. "The kid you bond with above all the other ones is your kid. It's like Sulley and Boo. Or you and Emma."

_"Yep, that's Randall's kid!"_

Randall stared straight ahead, his mouth working to form a sound, but nothing was coming out.

"George, you should bring Jessie to the apartment sometime!" Sulley suggested. "You can sneak her over here in Boo's new costume. I bet the kids would love each other."

"What a fantastic idea! You'll love Jessie, she's my little pride and joy! She calls me Daddy Monster." When the other monsters looked at him he smiled sadly. "She's in a foster family."

The group of monsters exchanged sad looks, but the moment was broken by Emma, who perched her chin in her hands on Randall's tail and grinned up at the lizard. "Hey, can I call you that?"

"You do and I'll glue your lips shut."

* * *

It was the first time in a month he had been allowed on the Laugh Floor, and he couldn't help but be annoyed with the way he was treated. No, no one fled in terror or cowered to the ground, but instead stood protectively in front of their laugh canisters, as if they feared he'd bust it. He emitted a low, humiliated growl, while Sulley felt his own mouth twitching in pure amusement.

"They're just being a little cautious. I mean, you knocked out power for an entire day last time, and a lot of canisters needed to be replaced. You even blew a few door lights!" His face turned serious. "Monsters are protective of their children."

Randall sneered and was about to announce that a pile of rubbish, but when he thought of anything happening to Emma's, or even the twerp's door, his words died. "...Well. I mean, I was a little woozy when you had me try to _clean these windows._ Of course I tripped."

"Yeah, well don't worry, we've made sure to keep the long brooms a good fifty feet away from you," the furry monster teased. Randall only pouted. He flinched harshly when Sulley patted his back. "You'll do fine, Randall. Don't worry."

"No I won't," Randall snapped, becoming distressed and anxious the closer the time of his shift arrived. "I'm not cut out for this, Sullivan. I _scare_ kids, I don't _play_ with them."

"Come on Randall. Boo and Emma adore you, and I'm sure the rest of the kids will. You have a nact with kids—one you don't even realize you have."

He glared at the brute as if he was utterly insane, but he felt his head tilting to the side in shocked confusion. "I...do?"

"You do. When you're not hostile to them, and—you know, not trying to, uh, rip their faces off, you're actually really good with children. Two little girls already like you, what's going to stop all the others?"

Randall pondered on this as Sullivan slowly started walking away. The whistles blew, and the monsters began filing into their doors. Randall eyed the yellow door in front of him with hesitance, and stayed back by the props after even the slug-like monsters finally slithered in.

He glanced around hesitantly, feeling like a kid on his first day of school. Actually, he felt as he had the first day of college. And somehow, just like that day, as he turned his head he saw the same green monster urging him on and waving towards him.

Confidence boosted, the serpentine monster tucked a bunch of juggling balls under his arm and slithered in through the door. He crept up the wall, and perched in the corner. A light shone on him and he froze, turning to see a seven year old boy staring at him with wide, intrigued eyes.

_Alright, tell your dignity to go play outside for a while, it's time to do this!_ He started his routine he had been practicing the past month and tossed several balls up into the air and started juggling them. The seven year old put his hands to his mouth in wonderment. Randall tossed two of the balls over to the next wall, and then jumped to it as well, catching the balls before they hit the floor.

"Wow!" the boy gasped between his fingers in excitement as Randall continued his circus routine. The lizard continued to wow the kid as he jumped from wall to wall with the balls constantly in motion.

_Time for the grand finale!_ Randall curled in his body and flipped in the air as he landed on his feet in the middle of the child's rug. "Ta-daa!"

And just as he had planned, the several balls still in the air came down on his head. With every bonk of the ball he changed colors and made a different, hilarious expression, until the last ball rolled to the floor.

The child's eyes widened further and he slowly lowered his lands to his lap and leaned forward. Randall closed his multiple fists in anticipation and leaned forward as well. _Come on, come on, come on..._

The little boy positively _burst_ into laughter, falling back onto his bed and kicking his feet up into the air. Randall felt his frills perk up in excitement despite himself, suddenly no longer caring about the indignation of what he had done as he realized what he had finally accomplished. He snickered, gave a bow, and bolted back out the door to a group of cheering monsters.

"Way to go, buddy!" Mike exclaimed, watching as Sulley took the canister full, and to everyone's amazement, had to stick another in to catch the last of the child's laughter. "You did it! You did it!"

The lizard felt the largest, genuine grin snake up on his lips, and he crossed his arms in his old arrogant ways, yet somehow still kept a smile of humility. "Well of course I did." He glanced at Mike and even at Sulley in a little-bit-almost-gruff admiration. "I guess I didn't have...the _worst_ of coaches."

A little red monster eagerly scurried up to the lizard, clapping his hands and bouncing like a flea. "Wow! You did it, sir!"

"Hey Fungus," Randall said in surprise, "you're not stuttering."

"You-you did great! You did even better than me when-when I first tr-tried!" Ah, there was the Fungus he knew.

"Yeah, well, I'm good at adapting I guess."

The little monster hesitated, and gave a nervous little grin. He really started stuttering then. "U-um, my...my main monster I help out is applying for-for a new position and when I-I'm not doing shifts of my own, I was wondering if you maybe ne-ne-needed any help now that you-you're back on the floor?"

Randall stared at him and blinked in shock. Slowly, probably the softest smile, and one he didn't even realize he had appeared on his face. He must have realized it eventually since he flushed and gave a gruff, careless shrug. "Uh yeah, sure, whatever. You could make yourself useful to me, I'm sure. You always used to be."

Fungus's many eyes brightened, and everyone's mouths hung as he suddenly lunged forward and hugged the monster tightly around the waist.

"Fungus," Randall instantly hissed, tensing every muscle. "Let go of me right freaking now before I stuff you in the _shredder._" Some things never changed.

The monster yelped and quickly released him. He still smiled though. "B-boy, I never realized til now that I actually missed you."

"Yeah, yeah, enough with the sappy crap. Just go get me another door..." He watched as the little monster scurried off. _Missed you too, you annoying little bean..._

* * *

The sounds of laughter resonated through-out his skull as he made his way back to Monstropolis State Prison. He had a feeling he'd be hearing that all night, but it definitely wasn't something he hated hearing, especially when it was Emma's or Boo's.

According to Sullivan, he set a company record for the most laughter produced in a first day. It was no ultimate scare record, but it definitely was something. The kids loved him, and somehow, Randall didn't find that notion as repulsive as he thought he would.

And yet, he thought to himself as he approached the prison guard, he knew there would be someone in here that wouldn't appreciate that news very much. At all.

"I'm here to see Silvester Boggs"

The guard led him in through the halls, towards the high security portion of the facility. He was undisguised this time, and regretted not wearing one when the guard snickered, "Oh, be careful you don't _trip_ and knock our power out as well."

Mortified, the lizard scrambled hurriedly to the chair he was in a month ago, and waited for his brother to appear and 'scare' him.

The air flickered, and Silver appeared with a smirk. "Boo."

"Oh, not going to scare the scales off me this time?"

"Naw, I wouldn't try the same scare the second time in a row." His brother sat in his chair and leaned forward. "How you doing, cupcake? Knock any more power out lately?" He grinned in amusement when Randall slid slowly down in his chair in humiliation.

"Oh Gods..."

"Aw come on. We don't have much to laugh at in this place, after all." He snickered. "Knocking out the city's power. That's so something you'd do." He cleared his throat and straightened himself. "So how has everything been lately? What's your plan to get everything back to the way it was before?"

Randall bit down on his tongue. "I...uh.. well that's kind of why I'm here to see you. About me taking over the company, I'm...not."

And just like that, the eagerness slipped from Silver's face. His face lowered and darkened, eyes narrowing dangerously. _"What._"

"I mean, there's no point in trying!" Randall shrugged. "The company is doing fine the way it is. We're producing ten times more power than we ever were before. There's no need to change it. I've been working on the floor and it isn't...it isn't _that_ bad. There's nothing wrong with the way things are."

"Nothing wrong?" Silver snarled. "You wear clown get ups and act like idiots, and—what is on your tail?"

Randall hesitated and picked up a long, foam string off his tail. "Oh, silly string."

"Gods..."

"Hey, that actually wasn't part of the bit I did. Wazowski started it. He glued the chair I was in and it stuck to my butt. So I got a hold of the silly string. And then it went from there..."

Silver growled. "See, this is what I'm talking about! Look at what you're letting yourself turn into! You're one of the top scarers, you graduated with _honors_, and you're reduced to...this! Silly string? Really? What happened to your plan? When did you decide to join their little clown team?"

Randall growled. "I didn't come to get patronized, okay? I'm just trying to make a freaking living here! I'm trying to get things back to being as normal as they can be for now. I just want to be back to the company. And I am."

"And how are you getting by?" Silver snorted. "You were never much of a comedian. Actually, you sucked."

"Well kids find a lot of things funny, like your misfortune." He chuckled. "Or at least, Emma does." Silver's eyes narrowed further."

_"Emma?"_

"Yeah...she's..." He hesitated, and then said with a light fondness," my kid. She's the one I worked with for a while."

"So you're just gonna go along with this then." Silver hissed; it wasn't even a question. He knew his brother, and he knew when he made up his mind. It just made him angrier. "That's it?"

"Fine, I guess I am," Randall growled, "despite how much I know you'll hate me for it. I'm doing the best thing I can right now. For me anyway."

"And you actually trust them?" his brother retorted. "These monsters that illegally banished you? You really think any of them even care about you? Whose to say they won't fling you through a door over the littlest mistake?"

He looked reluctant, like he lost a bit of his confidence. Then he shook his head. "Emma and Boo would never let them. Ever."

Silver's frills flared in a rage. "What do you owe a couple of girls?! What did that one brat do for you above what I've done?"

Randall lost it. "I owe one of them a lot! I owe one her life—she saved mine. I don't care if she's just three or a stupid twerp, she's the reason I'm not DEAD in the human world! And in these past few years, what have YOU done for me beyond framing me and hurting me?" He blurted it without thinking. "You'd kill me if it meant you could get everything you wanted!"

It was then rage was wiped from Silver's face. His eyes widened, and his frills gave a silent, stunned twitch.

Randall's breath hitched. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry..." He bit his lip, feeling his insides clench in guilt. "_Silver-_" He lurched back in the chair as his brother nearly pounced on the screen, snarling.

"I SAVED your life! I could have let you grow up the way I did, but I didn't! I could have _done_ to you what _he_ did to me, but I didn't! I protected you, taught you all you know! I taught you how to fight so no one would be able to hurt you!"

Randall swallowed a lump and looked painfully back at his brother, eyes wet at the rims. "..."

"I could have used you as my punching bag, and take everything out on you," Silver went on, his voice shaky with rage and pain. "I could have used you as my outlet, but I made sure that never happened..."

"I said I'm sorry!" Randall protested, his voice just as shaky. "Look, I do appreciate you taking care of me-"

"Then prove it! We're still brothers, we should be helping each other! Get me out of here and we won't need anyone but each other!"

"_No_," Randall growled. "I'm tired of having just you, and I'm tired of living by your stupid motto of needing no one. That's how I wound up banished to begin with. I can't...only trust one person, that's behind BARS no less."

Silver's frills fell flat against his head and neck.

"I'm sorry. I'll always visit you, but you can't just keep trying to turn me away from everyone." He turned to leave, but his brother slamming a pair of fists onto the desk stopped him.

"If you go with this your whole life's work is _gone!_ Everything you worked so hard for-"

"The machine is GONE! It's been thrown out! I know, that was my room when I first came back here! There's nothing left but the blueprints!"

"So you still have the blueprints!" Silver exclaimed, "You can make it better than it was before! It won't matter if it's screams, or laughter, or—heck, dancing—you can just get it all!"

"_NO._ We're not going to kill children for energy we can get a harmless way. The company would never forgive me for that. You honestly think harming more children would have me be respected?"

The older monster gave an exasperated snarl. When he glared at him this time it was with more desperation than anything. "What is it gonna take to make you see what you're doing?! I just-!" He groaned to himself. "I don't want to see you hurt again, _okay?_"

Randall furrowed his brows, a look of turmoil on his face. Finally, he angrily shook his head. "I don't...I don't _need_ you to take care of me. No one is gonna hurt me. They haven't yet."

"Then wake up _before they do._"

That silenced him, and it was the first thing his brother had said since the visit that he couldn't shrug off, as much as he wanted to. He slowly shut his eyes and looked away.

"...You said you have the blueprints, right? You can rebuild the machine. And if you're so intent on protecting the brats, you can find a way to make it without hurting them. You got a masters in engineering, I know you'd be able to find a way. It's better than the clown camp."

Randall pondered on that for a moment. He would be able to find a benign way to use the machine, that he knew for sure. Somehow, it still felt wrong. It was just as Sullivan had said, scaring was tainted now. He'd never be able to use that machine again.

"I could never try again with that machine, not after what it was for."

"Fine," Silver growled, no longer debating his hard-headed sibling on this. _If you won't, I will..._

* * *

Randall felt more like a stranger than he ever had before as he slowly approached the apartment he now shared with the two monsters. His key copy felt wrong to hold, his brother's warnings echoing in his head. They were impossible to ignore, and that's what made it worse.

Mike smiled as he stepped out to meet him. He still had bits of silly string on him. "Hey buddy, how'd it go?"

Instinctively, defensively, Randall snarled. "_Don't_ freaking call me that. I am NOT your buddy."

Despite the many times Randall had snapped that in the past, this was the first time Mike looked truly affected as he blinked in hurt. Randall's eyes slid shut in guilt.

"Wazowski...ugh. Sorry, I didn't mean that. I just...don't feel well."

"You too? Emma's not feeling that good either apparently," Mike commented, causing Randall's eyelids to shoot up. "She went to the doctors. Turns out she has a cold, but she still wanted to come over. I brought her over after Sulley took Boo over to see George." He shrugged. "Who am I to turn a sick kid down? Anyway...what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Randall muttered. "My brother just...got some stuff into my head, that's all."

Mike winced a little. "Like what?"

His eyes fell to the floor, and they shut. "Nothing." He felt Mike's eyes still on him and he growled. "He just...told me that no one will care about me, and that I'm fooling myself."

"Well. You don't really believe that, do ya, Buddy?" He plopped on the couch directly beside Randall. The lizard tensed when he felt his arm brush against him by accident.

"I...I don't know. How could anyone trust me after what I did? How will everyone ever stop hating me?"

The green monster smiled one of those encouraging smiles he always gave him when they were in college, and he needed his confidence boosted. "Trust? Sulley let you take Boo to your mother's! Alone! Without either of us! I'd say that's pretty trusting, wouldn't you?"

"..."

The small monster hesitated, as if debating if he should say this. Eventually he did give a slight smile. "And me, you trust me...don't you?"

The lizard lifted his head toward Mike. Old roommate. Old nemesis; the one to help toss him into a door, and at the same time, he was also the monster that coached and looked after him. His instincts and paranoia told him to snap at the little olive, but he found he couldn't shake his head or snarl at him. Instead, he gave a slow nod.

"Well that's all you need for now, to trust. Monsters will trust you eventually. Sull' and I do. Boo and Emma do, Fungus, Celia's okay with you, and so is George."

"Okay, yeah, I get it," Randall snapped lightly. He gave Mike a look of appreciation. "Thanks, Wazowski."

"It's Mike you know, Lizard Boy."

Randall's mouth opened for a moment, but it firmly shut. His walls came back up. "I like Wazowski." He ignored the despondent look on the little monster's face as he slithered towards Sulley's room, where he knew Emma would be.

Randall was surprised the nine year old didn't come bounding towards him when he opened the bedroom door. She didn't even look up at him at first, tossing Boo's ball lightly against the wall. Randall knew her well enough to know she only did that when something was wrong.

"Sluggish from the cold, kid?"

The child seemed to take a while to realize he was even there, but her head quickly snapped up to him. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, just a bit tired." Her eyes were distant and hazy.

"...You don't look like you have a cold."

She shrugged a little. "Aw, it's just a little virus is all." She finally did give a smile, which made it easier for him to breathe, as she pounced randomly on his back. "I've still got some kick in me!"

He yelped as the little thing attached herself to his neck, and pulled herself up onto his head. "Hey, get your butt off my face!"

Emma giggled and wrestled on his head for a moment, before she gave a noticeable wince of pain and slid back down. He grabbed her in his arms, glaring. She only smiled back, another one of those shy smiles he had warmed up to.

"You know, you're like...the only one I ever want to play with. You and Boo, and Mike and Sulley. I never play with anyone else at school or at home. I dunno, I guess it's cause I don't like anyone as much as I like you."

He stared at her in wide eyed silence. The crooked little smile got to him and he flushed and looked away. "Yeah, well...I don't play with anyone either. I haven't since..." Memories came to him of him and his brother roughhousing in the grass, giggling, and pulling at each other's frills. He tried to push those thoughts away; Silver was too painful to think about right now. "I don't usually play either. I guess you just bring that side out in me."

She beamed up at him, and he felt something else twist in his heart when she leaned her cheek against his chest. His heart seemed to be doing that a lot lately.


	8. Chapter 8

_(Wow! So sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. It's been what, nearly a month now? Yeesh.  
_

_This chapter is mostly light hearted and sweet, and you all should appreciate that, because it is the LAST happy-ish chapter of this fic for many chapters. Shit is about to go doooown. Also, I regret to say I FORGOT the last chapter's flashback and I'm still kicking myself about that since the flashbacks are pretty significant.  
_

_And as a final note, I'm starting college in four days. Updates sadly will probably only be once a month, or if it's too busy, longer. But this story is half over, and I plan to finish it, I promise._

_Next chapter synopsis: It's nothing but cold, solid shock and betrayal for the gang when Randall is arrested for theft and murder.)_

* * *

_"Mom!" Randall squealed happily as he practically pounced on his mother, wrapping his many limbs around her in a full-body hug. "Merry Christmas!" His new college weight nearly made his poor mother stagger. She held on, laughing and hugging him close._

_"My sweetie, you're getting heavy."_

_"College junk food," her youngest son grinned, giving his mother a wink. "It tends to put on a few pounds." He walked in with her, blinking as she gripped his face to look into his eyes.  
_

_"Where are your glasses?"_

_"Oh, I took them off. My old roommate suggested it." He whirled when he felt his brother lightly tap his shoulder. And he turned just in time to be trapped in a headlock, just like old times._

_"Well look who's here! How you doing, Cupcake?" Randall hissed and struggled in his brother's hold, where-as any reaction before would normally be for him to laugh and fight back. Instead, he jerked away, glaring. _

_"Fine," he muttered, his tone suddenly a little detached as he brushed himself off. "Just finished first semester!"_

_"Wonderful, dear!" his mother gushed, "How did your exams go?"_

_"Yeah, you're still _in_ the program, right?"_

_The sudden hostility and anger that flooded into his eyes and into a teeth-baring growl was unlike either of them had either seen. "Of course I'm still in the program!"_

_Elsa stared at her baby, feeling the ghost of an old forgotten terror in her stomach at the familiarity of his behavior and rage. Even Silver looked slightly thrown._

_"Okay, geez, it was just a joke."_

_The fire faded from his emerald eyes, and he seemed apparently guilty as he and his family moved to the dining room. He took a few plates from his mother, balancing them on multiple fingers and his tail as he laid them on the table. "I'm in the top of the class, even got a spot in ROR." His brother nearly spat out his eggnog and cinnamon roll._

_"You're in ROR?!"_

_"Yep! Beat out James Sullivan to get the spot. That's right, from _that_ family." He smirked at Silver and gave it a moment to sink in. His older brother actually did look pretty impressed. "Just wait til I get to the industry, I'll be scaring circles around you in no time."_

_Silver grinned. "You should come visit the factory, see me in action. It's an art, I promise you. Waternoose has been thinking of giving me a promotion."_

_Randall flared, watching as always, Silver managed to drown out his meager accomplishment with a bigger one of his own. He could never let him be in the spotlight for even one second. "I don't feel like going to the factory just to feel second best to you, thanks."_

_The older reptile's frills lowered, irked. "I meant so you could get some experience there. You know, to help you?"_

_Randall was already ignoring him and launching into a new topic, hoping to smother the attention on his brother for once. "I'm going into engineering on the side-taking night classes actually! I want to learn as many skills to help me in the industry as possible. I could take a night job after I become a Scarer. You know, scare as my main profession and do something else on the side."_

_"What a wonderful idea, darling!" his mother gushed._

_"What are you gonna do, make doors?" his brother snorted.  
_

_"No!" Randall shot back, resisting the urge to toss a spoonful of potatoes at the smug reptile. "I was thinking more in the lines of building something to help with the scream shortage." He shrugged. "I don't know what yet, but I'm thinking something that would help get the screams we need. You know, make them scream more. I mean, can't you just see it?" He beamed, picturing his moment of fame, the glory, and being looked on as a hero for solving the energy crisis for their entire world.  
_

_After all, something like that was bound to benefit the industry, wouldn't it?_

* * *

"Oh, _excellent_ idea, Sullivan," Randall deadpanned as he watched two energetic little girls bounce their way around the candy store. "What a great place to take them, yeah! Because, you know, we're not putting them to _bed_ in an hour or anything."

"Aww, get your tail untwisted!" Emma teased, her smug grin only widening as the reptile scowled at her. "We're just celebrating is all! You know, rejoicing over the fact you're not such a failure in the funny business after all!"

"Oh gee, _thanks. What_ is on your face? You look like you have rabies." The twerp's freckled face was nearly obscured by this weird, white froth—which she licked off with a grin.

"Monster Foam, it's supposed to be this foamy candy you guys have. It's pretty tasty actually, I wish we had some of this stuff in my world." She skipped off with an armload of goodies, and he was certain it was more than he was allowing her to buy.

A tiny little fist tugged on one of his back legs, and he craned his neck down to scowl at a monster-disguised three year old, waving a packet of jelly beans in front of his face. "And what do you want? I'm not paying for you too, that's Sullivan's job." He stared, wide eyed at the menagerie of candy she had gathered in the fabric of her costume, sagging nearly to the floor. "Uhhh, Sullivan?"

"Oh geez." The spotted monster lumbered over to the toddler and shot a sheepish glance at a glaring shopkeeper. "Boo, what all have you got here? I told you just five pieces of candy, not _ten! _That's way too much for you._"_ Randall and Mike both bit back a laugh as the spotted monster had to fish out several pieces of candy from the little girl's costume, before hurrying to catch up with them in the line.

Randall threw a wayward look back to the sniffling little girl and vanished. He reappeared right beside her, feet curled around the metal rungs of a candy rack to keep himself suspended. Scooping up the pieces of candy Sullivan put away, he winked at Boo. "Hey, if buying you five extra pieces of candy will tick off Sullivan enough, I'm game for it." The little girl giggled, and he snatched her up in his tail.

The cashier rang in the items, and Randall's eyes bulged as the total continued to add up, shooting a glare at a sheepish little Emma trying to win him over with a cute smile. "Oh, you impossible brat. I said nothing over fifteen dollars!"

The cashier merely smiled knowingly and chuckled. "Kids, eh? You just tend to spoil them without meaning to. I should know, I have a few of my own." His eyebrows rose. "When did you have kids, Randall?" He stretched over the register to look over at Boo climbing up Sullivan's tail. "What about you, Sulley?"

Randall tensed on the spot, feeling his heart begin to pound in a moment of panic. Thankfully, Sullivan had already long since prepared with a cover-up. "Oh, they're just kids that belong to our friends. We're watching over them."

The cashier snickered as Boo seemed to lose interest in Sulley's tail, and instead turned to Randall's, climbing over it. "Never thought you'd have a way with the kids!"

"Yeah," Randall agreed, groaning as she gnawed on his frills like a chew toy. "Me neither. But you know, I get by by threatening to _chew_ the _toes_ off annoying little squirts," he hissed to the girl on his head. She squealed and scurried back to Sulley. He grinned smugly as Sullivan shot him a glare the moment they stepped out of the store.

"Chew the toes off children? _Really?"_

* * *

The moment they reached the apartment, Emma angrily tossed aside her pink monster costume and took a gulp of cool, refreshing air. "How much do I have to wear that stupid thing?" she snapped. "It's so _warm _in there, and it's really annoying. The antenna keep bobbing into my face."

"As long as you want to be able to come here," Randall told her, crossing his arms. "If you don't, the CDA could take you away if they found you. We'd never see each other again." His frills perched back as the group stared at him. "Not that I'd...care, or whatever," he tried to gripe.

"We're at the apartment now," Sulley assured, "so as long as we're here you don't need the costume." Emma flashed him a grateful smile and a knock sounded at the door. "Quick!" the spotted monster shouted, shoving the disguise back to the child. "Put on your costume!"

Randall slithered to the door and opened it with a roll of his eyes. A large, orange monster and a young monster not much taller than Boo grinned at him. "You can relax, Sullivan!" he shouted back to the monster frantically trying to wrangle the kids into their costumes. "It's just Sanderson, and..." He frowned at the little creature suspiciously. Was that a zipper at the back of her? "Who are you?"

A head with brown braids and freckles eagerly poked out of the costume. "My name's Jessie!"

"Oh, Sanderson's kid."

"That's right!" Jessie piped up. "I'm a whole five and a half years old! Isn't that cool? I'm a half year!" Randall's mouth twitched up into the slightest, amused grin.

"Alright Jess," George chuckled as he gave the child a pat on her back. "Why don't you go see the girls now?" She needed no coaxing, bounding toward the two little girls ripping into their candy. She greeted Boo with a tackle hug, before immediately doing the same to Emma.

"Hiya! My name's Jessie, what's yours?" She grinned at the tense nine year old, blissfully unaware to how much she had stiffened in her hold.

"Emma," the girl mumbled, wriggling her way out of the hug. Randall noticed how quiet and un-enthused she seemed, having to snicker at the child's discomfort. He didn't blame her; the twerp was rather annoying.

"Wow, that's a cool name! Can I have some candy? Ou, what's that?!"

Emma was getting dizzy trying to keep up with what the girl was saying, and she found her camera (having fallen out of her pocket when Jessie pounced on her) suddenly snatched away from her. She gasped, instantly growing defensive and angry as she snatched it back. "Give that back! You'll break it!"

Randall scowled as he stormed over at the fuss, throwing a pair of hands on his hips. "Hey! What's going on over here?"

Emma was practically cradling her camera in the crook of her arm, and inspecting it for damages. She pointed an accusing finger at a confused Jessie. "She took my camera from me, and she could have busted it!"

Gently, Randall plucked the silver camera from Emma's arms. "You still obsessed with this thing, kid? What is with you and photos?" He was careful with his tone, making it light and teasing. He knew enough people scoffed at the kid's hobby.

"I don't know, I just love photography," Emma said with a shy little shrug, face going pink in embarrassment when the other monsters crowded around to see the pictures.

"Hey, these are pretty good, kid!" George exclaimed, sifting through some pictures of the little girl, her family, and what appeared to be her backyard. He did a double take at a particular one, and then gave a loud guffaw. "Oh hey, I think I found my favorite ones!" He flashed them toward Randall and Sulley, making sure he didn't tilt them enough so Mike could see it. Both the reptilian and spotted monster burst out laughing.

"What?" Mike griped, having a feeling, judging by the fact they were so diligently trying to keep the pictures away, it had something embarrassing to do with him. His suspicions were confirmed when he finally managed to yank the photos away from them. "_Emma!"_

The other monsters were nearly hysterical. Mike fought the urge to crumple the photos as he glared at it. One was a photo of him reclined in his chair as Celia knelt next to him, filing the nails on his feet. The other, much worse, was of the two laying side by side with sea weed wraps and cucumbers on their eyes (eye).

"It's not as bad as you think!" Mike spluttered, struggling to be heard over the laughter of his friends. He scowled. "Look, when you're with a woman you have to do some things that might seem a bit..._unorthodox—_something the lot of you idiots will never understand because you'll never have girlfriends!"

The laughter died down as Mike stormed to the kitchen, and George fondly jiggled Emma's shoulder. "Boy Randall, this kid sure is something."

"Yeah," the lizard mumbled back, with a bit too much fondness in his voice. "She sure is."

"Some of these are fantastic," George mused. "They even make you look less uglier." He snickered when Randall glared. "They kind of give me an idea, the ones with you and her especially. I bet there's a lot of monsters at the company that would love to have some pictures taken with their kid. After all, the two worlds are practically bonded now."

"That's true," Sulley agreed, "I don't think many monsters go in the rooms with cameras though."

"Yeah...but we _have_ a camera," George reminded. "And seeing this kid's photos give me a good idea. What about a company scrapbook?" At the mention of the word scrap book, and of course anything related to cameras, Emma completely perked up.

"A scrapbook?" Randall snorted. "Do we really want to document the embarrassing things we do at the factory? I'd rather not remember I'm a comedian."

"No, that's not what I was thinking," George huffed. "I was thinking the other employees, especially the ones that have formed friendships with the kids, might want to take pictures of themselves with the children, for memories sake."

"That's an awesome idea!" Emma shouted, surprising the group with her sudden excitement. "I've wanted something like that at our school, but the funding was too low or something, so we couldn't make a photo club."

Sulley rubbed his chin in thought, grinning as the other two children looked just as excited. "That _is_ a good idea. As CEO, I approve of this. But my approval isn't enough to make it happen. We'd still need Roz's consent."

They all exchanged disgruntled looks, knowing that might be easier said than done. Roz didn't allow any more contact with the human world than what was actually needed to ensure their survival and electricity. The rules were air tight (but when did they listen to the rules anyway...)

"I think we can get Roz's acceptance on this," Sulley assured the group, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm the CEO after all." He looked over at Emma, and gave her shoulder a fond pat. "I think you should be the head of this project. You're the one that knows the most on scrapbooking."

The nine year old pretended to think about it, tapping her chin. "Well okay, I'll do it! But on one condition." Before anyone could ask, she looped her arm around Randall and pressed him up against her side. "Funny Face and I are on the _very_ first page!"

Randall just stared at her, a warmth building in his cheeks, and the same kind of warmth building in his heart.

* * *

He smirked down at the metal band. Even in the dim, prison lights he could tell how worn it was, how chipped and deteriorating it was becoming. After three years. Three years in this facility, the third one he had been at. You'd think they'd have learned by now to give him a stronger cuff.

Well, to their credit it was pretty state-of-the-art, and he didn't imagine they realized how many little rocks he had at his disposal, that could eventually chip through the wires. It took three years, but he had done it.

With a final, sharp tap to the metal, the cuff shattered and Silver instantly vanished. And unlike before, where he could barely flicker due to the metals counteracting the invisibility, this time he was able to vanish entirely, for however long he wanted. And needed.

He clung to the ceiling just above the cell door, and waited. The guards made their rounds in about ten minutes.

When he heard the footsteps nearing, he silenced his breathing and stayed positively still, cemented to the ceiling. A guard's yellow eyes peered through the small square window, staring when it didn't see the lizard in sight. The next thing Silver knew, the beam of a flashlight was pouring through the window, and it sighted the broken cuff.

The heavy door was thrown open, and the moment it was, Silver descended with a single, hard chop with his elbow to the guard's head, knocking him out cold on the cement. He hopped over the guard's body, smirking and nonchalantly shutting the door to trap the monster inside.

_That was too easy..._ You'd think the guards at a higher security prison would have the intelligence _not_ to open a convict's door without some sort of back-up. No, they were all the same idiots. He made his way down the pitch black hallways, toward the back entrance. Before he did, something, or rather _someone,_ caught his eye.

He shifted in the air, and materialized in front of Waternoose. The monster's multiple eyes stared at him for a moment before he sneered. "Why am I not surprised..."

"You shouldn't be. I do this so many times it's practically routine for me now. Granted it took me longer this time." He tapped the red indent on his ankle, where the cuff had been on all these years. "Their cuffs are getting better, but not good enough."

"What's the point in breaking out at all? Do you plan on joining the little clown committee as well?"

Silver snorted angrily. "As if. No, I'm gonna get my brother back on the right track, back to doing what he was before. I'm not going to just let him throw his life away for a couple of kids."

"You really think you can help that useless and pathetic brother of yours?"

Silver bristled, his multiple frills flaring in a rage. There was a difference between him degrading and insulting his brother and letting someone else do it. "Don't call him that."

Waternoose was ready to fire another jab at the younger lizard, but knowing only thin bars separated him from Silver's wrath, and knowing Silver wasn't as merciful as Randall had been, he thought better of it. "The extractor is gone, you know."

"Maybe, but there are blueprints; I can work from that, make it ten times more powerful than it ever was. And thanks to Randall, there's a couple of kids to test it out on."

"You honestly think you'll win your way into your brother's good graces by kidnapping the brats he cares about?"

The reptilian monster gave a sardonic snort, feeling hate flooding through him when he thought of the little vermin that corrupted his brother. "He doesn't need them, the brats, or Sullivan and Wazowski. He's completely brainwashed if he actually thinks they care about him, but I'll break him out of it one way or another."

Waternoose only sneered. "And who's to say I won't simply rat you out here and now? I'm sure there's a guard nearby." He was roughly jerked up against the bars by the collar of his prison jacket, as Silver sneered at him.

"Oh I know you wouldn't. You may hate the both of us, but you want the factory back to the way it was more than anyone else. And we all know you're too stupid to find a way out anytime soon, I'm your best shot."

He pulled away from Waternoose, glaring into the darkness. "By the time this is over, the factory will be back to normal. I'll shatter Randall to show him that I'm right. All he'll have left is me."

"Well, aren't you brother of the year," Waternoose mocked sweetly.

A strange, almost gentler look came to the silver monster's eyes as he vanished back into the air. "I practically raised that runt. I've always done what's best for him." He narrowed his eyes, a burning determination growing. "And I'm not about to stop now."

* * *

"Alright squirt, don't you think it's about time you get to bed?" Randall asked for probably the fifth time in the past hour. It was past the girl's bedtime, but Emma didn't seem to care, blissfully scribbling away at pieces of construction paper, and snipping patterns with scissors.

"How does this look?" She held it up to the monster.

He looked it over, narrowing his eyes and intentionally taking a while before saying anything. He shook his head in disapproval, and bit back a laugh at the girl's worried expression. "It looks just fine, kid. You've got a real nact for this kind of stuff."

She beamed. "Well I want to be a photographer, and I want to make scrapbooks. Actually, I think I want to have my own scrap booking business!"

Randall was amused. "Well that's great, kid, but with that kind of thing it's the customers that take the photos, not you." She looked even more confused and he bit his lip to keep from laughing. "You just put them in a book all professional."

"Well...I'll have a scrap booking business where I take the photos too!"

"So when people come in they'll tell you what photos they want you to take and you'll take them?"

"Exactly!"

At this he did laugh, shaking his head down at the little girl. "You're impossible." He cleared his throat and tried to be stern. "Okay, seriously, I want to get to bed and I'm not just going to let you run amok while I sleep. Put the photos away for now."

"Wait, wait!" She covered her supplies with her arms, as if to protect them. "I wanna do one more thing!" He sighed angrily, ready to drag her away by her feet, up until she shoved another page of the book in his face. "See? It's us."

He stared. It was the photo of them; Emma had her arms around his face, smushing it and trying to pull his pouting lips up into a grin as he tried to scowl at her. It was now in the shape of a heart, with blue lace frills along the edge of the shape. Underneath it was a small, jade square to write a caption in. "It...looks perfect, kid." The corner of his lips turned up into a slight smile, looking at its homemade depths.

"Thanks!" Her smile fell slightly. "I wish people in my world cared about my photos just as much as you do. My parents think I'm wasting my time, and Tina wants me to be in sports with her." Her nose wrinkled, eyes narrowing. "I know Tina thinks everything I do is a waste of time..."

The lizard got down on the floor with her, partially laying down. He looked at the child, noting the bitterness she always seemed to get on her gentle face when she mentioned her sister. It sort of reminded him of himself and Sullivan. "Again with the bitterness with Tina? Why can't you just let that go?"

"Well...what about you and Sulley?"

In that moment, Randall's drowsiness was shot and his eyes shot open. He shoved himself up onto his elbows to stare at her in horror. "_What?_" he nearly shouted. What had Sullivan told her about them?! Worse, how much of his past did she know about?

A little freaked out, Emma scooted back and shot him a confused frown. "Well, it's nothing really! I just notice you seem meaner with him. I mean, I know you're really grumpy with anyone, but you just seem worse with him is all."

Randall fell quiet for a moment, heaving a subtle sigh in relief. "We have some issues, that's all. Issues I don't feel like bringing up with you. I've got my reasons for not liking the guy."

"And I've got my reasons for not liking Tina," was Emma's answer. "But maybe you're right...It's time for us to let go of our issues. It's only gonna make us unhappy. Tina only tries to help, even though she ends up making things worse. We used to be friends and do everything together... And I mean, Sulley is letting you live here, isn't he? Maybe we...both should make an effort."

Randall mulled over this for a moment and looked down at Emma. She was falling asleep. "Alright twerp," he began, ignoring the question, "let's get you to bed." He reached out a hand, and a smaller one curled into it. The moment she stood, she stumbled onto her knees, a pained look on her face. "Kid?" He couldn't help the alarm that leaked into his tone.

"I'm fine," Emma muttered as she yawned and leaned into him. She still had that grimace on her face. "Just a little over tired..." Not wanting to chance another fall, Randall scooped her up into his arms, and made his way over to the couch he slept on. She was out before she even hit the cushions. Randall pulled the blankets over her and walked away—just as Sulley was coming out of his own room.

"Boy it took forever to get Boo and Jessie to sleep," the monster sighed. "They were so hyped up on sugar. Boo had a little bit more candy than I remember her having." He gave the reptile a slightly playful glare, but Randall merely shrugged.

"So Sanderson has a shrimp of his own... With another one roaming in our world, don't you think the chances of the CDA eventually finding them get higher? Or, that we'll keep a kid too long and they're taken away from their parents?

"Not as long as they're costumed." Then Sulley narrowed his eyes. "If Boo ever gets taken, I'll have them make a door for every house in the world if that's what it takes to find her. I'd circle the world for her."

Even though these past few weeks with Emma was beginning to give Randall a good understanding when Sulley mentioned doing something drastic for Boo, he still couldn't help but ask, "why?"

"Because that's what you do when you love someone, Randall. ...You don't let them go." He gave a small shrug and a little smile. The lizard was quiet for a moment, and he slowly glanced over to the sleeping nine year old on the couch.

"S...so I was thinking something," he began in a gruff tone, internally hating what he was about to do. But he knew that if Emma was going to make an effort with her sister, the right thing for him to do was try to make an effort as well. "I figure since now I guess we're living in the same apartment, and we're forced to see each other every day, and I'm rather _forced_ to depend on you right now...maybe I shouldn't hate you, and I should try to get along with you..."

The monster's eyebrows shot up in shock as he looked down at the smaller monster. He was glaring at the ground in embarrassment. "What are you saying, you want to be friends?"

_"No!"_ Randall instantly snapped, in a tone mean enough to make Sulley fall silent and purse his lips. His voice softened. "But, uh...I'm asking for us not to be enemies anymore."

The spotted monster shrugged and gave a wry smile. "I haven't looked at you as my enemy in a while now anyway Randall." He chuckled when the lizard stared at him in shock. "Think about it, you work in my company, you live in my house, I'm letting Boo be around you... It doesn't sound like the way you treat an enemy."

"Right, whatever... I guess what I'm asking for is a truce." He thought on what the monster just said. "Although I guess we already got to that point without announcing it."

Sulley smiled and held out a paw. Randall glared at it as if it was poisonous, before reluctantly taking it. "Truce then. Good-night, non-enemy."

The lizard rolled his eyes and made his way to the couch. "Good-night, you idiot."

* * *

The sky was a gentle purple mingled with a tinge of pink when Emma made her way down the dark halls. A few stars were still twinkling, the last of the moon barely illuminating her sister's door, before it slipped beyond the horizon.

Tina was already starting to stir around in bed as her room slowly brightened, the sun just beyond the hill. She heard her door creak, and she blearily looked up, eyes focusing and then staring in shock at who was in her room.

"Hey," Emma began quietly, shuffling slightly on her stocking feet. Tina felt panic grip her heart; Emma never came in to see her. Something had to be wrong.

"Emma?" she asked, voice still groggy with sleep. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

"No, uh..." The younger sister hesitated and she gave a gentle, slightly bashful smile. "I thought maybe...we could go outside and watch the sunrise together. You know, like we used to when we were younger."

Tina just stared at her, waiting for some indication that this was obviously another one of her dreams formed from her yearning to have a relationship with her sister again. There was no way it could be real. "What?" she asked dumbly.

Emma laughed. "I said let's watch the sunrise together. But hurry up, or it'll be done by the time we get out there." She held a hand out to her sister, and Tina could only stare at it for a moment before slowly taking it.

She yelped as Emma practically jerked her out of the bed with a playful grin. Tina's own face cracked up into a delighted smile, and the two sisters ran, giggling out to the front door.


End file.
